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EXTEACTS  FROM  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
Pencils  of  Sulphate  of  Copper  These  may  readily  be  formed, 
according  to  K.  Calmberg,  by  triturating  briskly  together  four 
parts  sulphate  of  copper,  and  one  part  borax.  The  water  of 
crystallization  given  out  unites  the  two  into  a  plastic  mass, 
which  may  be  moulded  as  desired. 
On  the  adulteration  of  spices. — Dr.  H.  Schroeder  states  that 
microscopical  examination  affords  the  best  test  for  the  adultera- 
tion of  spices.  It  is  necessary,  however,  in  the  first  place  to  be- 
come acquainted  with  the  appearance  not  only  of  the  genuine 
articles,  but  also  of  the  substances  used  in  sophistication.  Dr. 
S.,  has  examined  a  number  of  samples  of  commercial  spices,  with 
the  following  results : 
Black  Pepper. — Of  42  specimens,  10  only  were  found  to  be 
entirely  pure.  Rape  seed  oil  cake,  burnt  and  ground  acorns, 
dried  and  ground  bread  crusts  made  up  a  large  part  of  the  re- 
mainder. Under  a  power  of  60  diameters,  the  thin  brown  seed 
coats  of  the  rape  seed  were  plainly  seen  :  by  a  power  of  200  di- 
ameters, the  starch  grains  of  the  acorns  and  bread  crusts  were 
readily  recognized  by  their  size  and  shape. 
Ground  Cloves. — G  samples,  out  of  40  examined,  were  found  to 
be  unadulterated.  Clove  stems,  sandal  wood,  brick-dust,  pimento, 
ground  acorns,  bread  crusts,  oil  cake,  and  cloves  deprived  of  their 
oil,  were  found  to  be  largely  mixed  with  the  cloves.  8  specimens 
contained  no  cloves  at  all,  but  owed  their  smell  to  a  few  drops  of 
the  oil.  10  specimens  were  mixed  with  some  fixed  oil,  in  order 
to  give  to  a  worthless  powder  an  oily  appearance.  This  adulter- 
ation may  be  readily  detected  by  the  permanent  stain  which  such 
a  mixture  gives  to  paper  on  which  it  is  rubbed.  Clove  stems  and 
cloves,  when  triturated  with  iodine  and  iodide  of  potassium  in  so- 
lution, show  under  the  microscope  no  starch  grains  at  all — or  at 
most — but  a  few  scattered  ones ;  on  the  other  hand,  in  ground 
acorns  and  bread  crusts  they  are  readily  seen.  In  pimento,  they 
are  enclosed  for  the  most  part  in  the  cellular  tissue.  Under  200 
diameters,  the  clove  stems  display  a  multitude  of  elongated  cells, 
and  spiral  vessels ;  pure  cloves  contain  neither  these  elonglated 
cells,  nor  spiral  vessels.  Brick-dust  and  sandal  wood  under  a 
power  of  60  diameters  may  be  directly  observed.  ' 
