Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
Mar.,  1877.  J 
Adulterations. 
129 
ADULTERATIONS. 
By  Rich.  V.  Mattison,  Ph.G. 
[Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  Feb,  20.) 
Adulterations  and  sophistications  are  extensively  practised.  A  large 
number  of  such  articles  are  sold  and  used  through  the  drug  trade,  and 
there  is  a  certain  demand  among  a  large  class  of  its  members  for  cheap 
drugs,  without  regard  to  quality  ;  the  entire  scrutiny  being  directed  to 
the  quantity  delivered,  and  the  price  at  which  it  is  invoiced. 
The  apparently  simple  article  of  beeswax,  for  instance,  is  adulterated 
in  every  conceivable  way,  with  almost  every  article  at  all  analogous  to 
it  in  physical  properties.  Paraffin,  rosin,  stearin  and  Japan  wax,  are 
employed,  or  a  mixture  of  all  these  ;  the  latest  sophistication,  we 
believe,  being  a  mixture  of  rosin  and  paraffin,  coated — electroplated  as 
it  were,  with  pure  wax. 
The  fecula  of  arrowroot  is  perhaps  rarely  sold  without  admixture 
with  other  starches,  and  balsam  of  tolu  and  copaiba  are  so  frequently 
adulterated  as  to  need  only  mention  in  passing.  The  article  known  as 
Oregon  Balsam  of  Fir  has  been  one  of  peculiar  interest,  and  the  source 
of  it  was  satisfactorily  explained  in  the  last  number  of  the  Jour- 
nal, thanks  to  our  friend  Dr.  Miller,  who  by  the  way,  we  think 
rather  throws  the  blame  of  adulterations  upon  the  Western  trade. 
The  firm  mentioned  as  soaking  off  the  labels  of  the  easterm  manufac- 
turers of  quinia,  etc.,  and  adulterating  with  cinchonia  hydrochloate^ 
salicin,  etc.,  and  who  had  also  dies  prepared  and  tinfoil  caps  made  with 
the  same  design,  letters  and  general  facsimile  style  of  the  ones  adopted 
by  the  Eastern  manufacturers  referred  to,  and  who  took  the  headings 
from  barrels  of  borax  and  citric  acid,  partially  filling  the  same  with 
crushed  crystals  of  alum  and  tartaric  acid  respectively,  who  also 
removed  half  the  acid  from  the  fifty  pound  boxes  of  tartaric  acid,  fil- 
ing the  same  with  cream  of  tartar  which  itself  had  been  previously 
adulterated  with  calcium  and  potassium  sulphates,  and  of  whom  a 
thousand  more  acts  of  a  similar  nature  with  which  we  are  conversant 
might  be  mentioned,  and  who  by  the  way  are  now  out  of  business, 
were  it  is  true  a  Western  firm,  but  we  think  it  due  to  their  associates  to 
say  that  when  the  expose  took  place,  they  refused  to  have  any  dealings 
with  the  firm  referred  to,  both  openly  and  privately  discountenancing 
the  whole  proceeding. 
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