124 
Crocus  and  its  Adulterants. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
March,  1900. 
No.  8,  labelled  Alicanth  saffron,  was  found  to  be  adulterated 
with  some  portion  of  another  plant,  together  with  quite  an  appreci- 
able quantity  of  adhering  barium  sulphate.  The  coloring  matter 
present  dissolved  with  a  red  color  in  sulphuric  acid. 
No.  9. — The  adulteration  here  present  turned  brown  with  sul- 
phuric acid  and  contained  a  coloring  matter  soluble  in  dilute  alcohol^ 
imparting  to  this  solvent  a  magenta  color.  The  pollen  grains  present 
measured  99-96  mikrons  in  diameter,  having  a  wall  of  7-14  mikrons 
in  thickness  and  finely  spinose,  the  chromopJastids  ranging  from 
1-19-1-47  mikrons  in  diameter.  The  pollen  grains  were  colored 
purplish-red,  a  portion  of  the  coloring  matter  having  been  absorbed, 
which  thus  gave  conclusive  evidence  of  a  prepared  and  intentional 
adulteration. 
No.  10. — This  sample  was  labelled  German  saffron,  and  possessed 
a  somewhat  tea-like  odor,  with  a  brownish-red  coloring  matter  solu- 
ble in  dilute  alcohol. 
The  few  pollen  grains  which  were  present  had  a  diameter  of 
39*27  mikrons,  possessing  numerous  spines  7*14  mikrons  long  and  a 
wall  of  2-38  mikrons. 
Upon  the  addition  of  sulphuric  acid  to  this  sample  it  gradually 
turned  a  seal-brown. 
No.  11. — This  sample  presented  in  bulk  about  the  same  appear- 
ance as  the  previous  sample,  although  in  detail  it  differed  from  the 
former  in  that  the  pollen  grains  were  absent,  and  with  sulphuric  acid 
it  turned  brownish-black,  gradually  becoming  darker  and  disinte- 
grating with  slight  pressure.  The  coloring  matter  present  was 
insoluble  in  dilute  alcohol. 
In  order  to  determine  the  coloring  matter  present  in  the  adul- 
terants of  these  samples,  the  tests  given  in  Prescott's  and  in  Allen's 
works  on  Organic  Analysis  were  applied,  but  without  success,  not 
even  a  clue  being  found  as  to  their  identification.  The  failure  at  this 
point  seemed  to  be  due  to  the  presence  of  the  natural  color  in  the 
undyed  petal  or  a  mixture  of  dye  colors  was  used,  thus  vitiating  the 
results. 
In  the  case  of  No.  12,  Spanish  saffron  was  Ordered  and  cartha- 
mus  received  instead. 
Some  possible  adulterations  of  crocus  were  considered  in  the 
course  of  the  work.  The  pollen  grains  with  measurements,  together 
with  those  of  the  chromoplastids  and  average  size  of  petal  are 
given. 
