Am.  Jour.  Pharrn. 
June,  1887. 
An  Analysis  of  Cacao  Shells. 
277 
exception  of  the  ammonia  test,  which  gave  a  precipitate  of  less  bulk. 
The  third  was  prepared  from  the  chloride  with  boracic  acid,  which 
gave  characteristic  tests,  but  the  ash  was  not  as  difficult  to  obtain. 
These  experiments  were  made  in  the  chemical  laboratory  of  the  College. 
AX  ANALYSIS  OF  CACAO  SHELLS. 
A  contribution  from  the  Chemical  Laboratory  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy. 
By  P.  S.  Clarkson. 
Eead  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  May  17. 
As  no  complete  analysis  of  these  shells  or  husks,  as  they  are  some- 
times called,  is  to  be  found  in  any  work  on  chemistry  and  as  it  is 
stated  that  they  are  used  to  adulterate  ground  spices  and  various 
other  foods,  it  was  thought  desirable  to  make  one,  to  aid,  if  possible, 
their  detection  when  so  used.  These  shells  can  be  purchased  at  any 
of  the  large  groceries,  being  put  up  in  packages  of  one  pound  each  by 
a  well  known  chocolate  firm  and  recommended  for  making  a  drink 
resembling  coffee.  To  make  this  beverage  the  shells  are  boiled  with 
water,  strained,  and  to  the  resulting  infusion,  milk  and  sugar  are  added. 
The  amount  of  ash  was  found  to  be  9*07  per  cent,  which  in  addi- 
tion to  the  usual  constituents  contained  aluminium.  This  element  has 
not  been  reported  in  some  analyses  of  the  ash,  but  was  found  by 
TTanklyn  in  the  ash  of  cacao. 
There  was  found  5*32  per  cent,  of  fat  soluble  in  petroleum  spirit  and 
ether  melting  at  35°.  This  is  the  oleum  theobromse  of  the  Pharma- 
copoeia. 
A  resin  was  found  to  the  extent  of  "93  per  cent,  which  was  soluble 
in  ether  and  alcohol.    It  had  a  strong  odor  of  cacao. 
An  alkaloid  consisting  of  "90  per  cent,  was  obtained  with  absolute 
alcohol.  This  gave  the  usual  reactions  for  theobromine.  A  large 
quantity  of  coloring  matter,  (cacao  red),  was  also  extracted  by  this 
menstruum.    The  amount  of  alcoholic  extract  was  5*60  per  cent. 
The  mucilage  extracted  by  water  was  5*60  per  cent.  The  remain- 
der of  the  6'30  per  cent,  extracted  by  water  was  coloring  matter  with 
albuminoids. 
The  albuminoids  soluble  in  dilute  soda  solution  amounted  to  7*90 
per  cent.  A  determination  of  the  whole  of  the  albuminoids  present 
was  made  by  a  combustion  with  soda-lime  which  showed  10.92  per 
cent. 
