Am]ki?S;imm'}         Crocus  and  its  Adulterants.  12.3 
VALUATION  OF  CROCUS. 
The  object  of  this  part  of  the  investigation  was  to  ascertain  the 
degree  of  purity  that  can  be  met  in  good  commercial  saffron.  It 
was  considered  that  the  U.S. P.  definition,  requiring  the  drug  to  con- 
sist of  stigmas  only,  was  too  stringent  and  not  practicable,  as  the 
style  and  other  parts  of  the  flower  were  likely  to  be  present,  not  in- 
tentionally, but  rather  by  reason  of  difficulty  in  collecting  stigmas 
only. 
The  micro-chemical  valuation,  as  suggested  by  Professor  Kraemer, 
was  carried  out  in  the  following  manner  :  From  six  or  eight  differ- 
ent parts  of  the  sample  were  taken  small  portions  of  the  drug 
(about  5  grammes),  these  were  then  mixed,  after  which  100  pieces 
were  counted  out  at  random  to  be  tested  ;  a  suitable  number  of  these 
pieces  were  then  laid  upon  a  slide  and  sulphuric  acid  CP.  added,  those 
giving  the  characteristic  blue  color  reaction  noted,  the  number  of 
which  is  compared  to  those  giving  other  than  a  blue  coloration,  and 
the  percentage  of  adulteration  estimated. 
In  the  examination  of  twelve  commercial  specimens  by  the  above 
test,  the  following  results  were  noted  : 
Blue  with  Coloration 
Sulphuric       other  than 
Acid.  Blue. 
■•ji:-'-.  v.i  .  ....                                           90  10 
2                                                                         68  32 
3  •  •  •  ■        86  14  - 
4  .'        78  22 
5  •  •  •  •  •                                                          82  18 
6                                                                           74  26 
7                                                                         88  12 
8                                                                         48  52 
9                                                                          46  54 
10   spurious. 
11  .   " 
12   carthamus. 
The  results  thus  obtained  indicate  that  the  purest  samples  of 
crocus  upon  the  market  are  but  90  per  cent,  pure ;  i.  e.,  contain 
but  90  per  cent,  stigmas,  as  required  by  the  U.S. P. 
Two  other  samples  obtained  from  different  sections  of  Lancaster 
County  were  absolutely  pure  and  free  from  any  admixture,  either 
mineral  or  organic. 
The  materials  present  in  the  first  seven  samples  examined  were, 
besides  stigmas,  fragments  of  yellow  anthers  and  styles. 
