494 
Laboratory  Notes. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t       Oct.,  1877. 
An  ounce  package  is  retailed  at  half  a  dollar.  There  was  found  in  it 
tobacco  (in  a  large  proportion),  asarabacca  (?)  and  oil  of  cedar.  (It 
may  contain  other  essential  oils.)  The  evidence  of  asarabacca  (Asarum 
europium)  was  wholly  by  the  microscope — in  comparison  with  that 
drug — and  was  not  conclusive.  Starch  grains  were  present,  as  they 
are  in  asarabacca. 
5  Sage's  Catarrh  Remedy. — -A  uniform  green  powder,  with  the  odor 
of  camphor,  faintly  modified  by  that  of  carbolic  acid,  and  a  taste  saline 
and  biting  and  camphorous.  A  half  ounce  bottle  is  sold  at  half  a 
dollar  at  retail.  An  analysis  of  this  nostrum  was  reported  by  Mr. 
Bowens  ("Am.  Jour.  Phar.,"  xlvi,  265,  June,  1874).  In  this  report 
the  proportions  of  constituents  are  stated.  In  our  examination,  by 
methods  mostly  different  from  those  given  by  Mr.  Bowens,  the  same 
constituents  were  identified,  with  one  exception, — Prussian  blue  was 
found  instead  of  indigo.  Camphor,  carbolic  acid,  hydrastis  canadensis, 
ferrocyanide  of  iron  and  chloride  of  sodium.  The  golden  seal  was 
identified  by  separation  of  berberina  and  hydrastia,  and  obtaining  the 
tests  for  each. 
The  examinations  reported  in  this  note  were  made  by  Mr.  W. 
Howard  Gates,  under  my  observation,  and  we  are  both  responsible  for 
them. 
XIII.  "  Butter  Powders." 
Articles  sold  with  a  declaration  that  they  make  two  pounds  of  butter 
where  but  one  pound  was  before.  The  articles  are  very  simple  things 
to  examine,  but  the  declaration  (which  is  evidently  the  chief  consider- 
ation sold)  is  much  more  difficult  to  manage.  The  first  article  of  this 
species  which  came  to  my  hand  was  "  Star  Butter  Powder,"  and  was 
to  be  used  as  follows  :  To  one  quart  of  milk  twelve  hours  old  add  one 
pound  of  butter,  warm,  add  one  teaspoonful  of  the  "  powder,"  and 
churn,  when  there  will  be  two  and  a  half  pounds  of  delicious  fresh 
butter.  The  "  powder  "  was  made  of  equal  parts  of  alum  and  sugar. 
Lately,  the  favor  of  another  article  came  along  ;  I  have  mislaid  its 
name  and  directions,  but  it  was  some  person's  ct  butter  powder,"  and 
was  to  be  churned  with  the  cream  and  an  addition  of  milk,  when  there 
would  be  as  much  again  butter  as  could  be  obtained  without  the 
"  powder."  This  was  found  to  consist  of  alum  and  sodium  chloride. 
Now,  as  to  the  above-mentioned  declaration  (to  which  "  butter  pow- 
