282  Bechi's  Test  for  Cotton-Seed  Oil.  {A™jniTim&Tm' 
proportion  used  for  the  mixture  was,  generally,  20  per  cent,  of  the 
latter  oil.  The  Commission  held,  that,  if  the  method  of  Prof.  Bechi 
will  determine  any  such  falsification,  it  is  more  than  sufficient  for  any 
exigency,  inasmuch  as  the  fraud  practiced  is  always  in  much  larger 
proportion.    The  experiments  were  grouped  under  five  series. 
Series  A. — Cotton  seed  oils  of  various  origins. 
Eleven  samples  of  oils  from  the  following  markets  were  used : — 1. 
London ;  2,  New  Orleans  ;  3,  Augusta  ;  4,  Louisville ;  5,  Sample  (8 
years  old) ;  6,  English  (Hirsch) ;  7,  Thorn  ;  8,  Maginnis ;  9,  Plant- 
er's ;  10,  Aldige ;  11,  Creole.  All  these  oils  treated  with  the  °  Bechi 
test "  gave  a  most  intensely  brownish  color,  that  exhibited  no  appre- 
ciable variation  in  shade,  according  to  the  origin  of  the  product.  The 
experiments  were  then  repeated  upon  the  oils,  using  2  cc.  of  oil  of 
cotton  to  8  cc.  of  olive  oil.  The  olive  oil  used  was  from  Pons  of 
Scandicci,  upon  whose  genuineness  there  can  be  no  question. 
Series  B. — Pure  olive  oil,  alone,  and  admixed  with  oil  of  cotton. 
The  series  of  experiments  here  outlined  were  based  upon  the  first, 
second,  and,  in  some  instances,  the  third  quality  of  48  oils,  giving  also 
the  origin  of  each  oil.  The  samples  were  subjected  to  comparative 
tests,  alone,  and  then  admixed  with  20  per  cent,  of  Hirsch's  English 
cotton  seed  oil,  the  most  abundant  in  Italian  markets;  in  every 
instance  the  48  olive  oils,  alone,  were  negatively  affected  by  the  rea- 
gents, but  the  instant  cotton  oil  was  admixed,  and  the  test  then  applied, 
the  result  was  promptly  given  by  the  formation  of  the  deep  brownish 
colors  in  every  instance. 
Series  C. — Various  oils,  alone,  or  mixed  with  Hirsch's  English  cot- 
ton seed  oil. 
The  oils  here  examined  are  25  fixed  oils  of  different  qualities,  liable  to 
be  used  as  an  adulterant.  They  are,  for  example,  oils  of  rape  (Germany, 
Milan,  Marseilles,  etc.),  sesame  (Levant,  Georgia,  Bombay,  Paris  and 
Grasse),  peanuts,  poppy,  linseed,  cocoanut,  castor,  almond,  peach-seed, 
and  cod-liver,  and  the  results  show  that,  in  every  case,  there  was  no 
appreciable  change  with  the  reagents,  but  if  prior  to  the  application  to 
the  test  20  per  cent,  cotton  oil  was  added,  the  characteristic  color  of 
the  reduction  was  formed. 
Series  D. — Pure  olive  oil  with  other  fixed  oils,  alone,  and  with  cot- 
ton oil. 
These  experiments  were  made  to  ascertain  if  the  presence  of  other 
fixed  oils  than  cotton  seed,  in  a  mixture,  would  have  any  modifying 
