Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
April,  1900. 
} 
Editorial  Notes  and  Comments. 
189 
adulterated  with  corn  starch,  gathered  in  lumps  and  easily  recog- 
nized by  the  polygonal  shape  and  distinct  star-like  cleft  nucleus  of 
the  grains. 
Capsicum. — Samples  1  and  2  were  pure.  Sample  3  was  adulte- 
rated with  wheat  flour,  agglomerated  in  flakes,  which  could  be  seen 
even  with  the  naked  eye  on  close  inspection.  Sample  4  was  adul- 
terated heavily  with  corn  starch  and  another  kind  of  starch,  con- 
sisting of  compound  granules,  which  were  made  up  of  small  angular 
grains,  perhaps  oat  starch.  Judging  roughly,  the  adulteration  seemed 
to  be  40  to  50  per  cent.  In  spite  of  this  fact,  the  color  of  the  pow- 
der was  darker  than  that  of  1,  2  or  3. 
Gamboge — Samples  1,  2  and  4  were  adulterated,  apparently  with 
dextrine  made  from  corn  starch.  Many  of  the  starch  grains  were 
well  defined,  and  assumed  a  blue  color  with  iodine.  The  dextrine 
particles  were  somewhat  star-shaped,  and  were  colored  purple  by 
iodine.  On  adding  dilute  caustic  soda,  the  gamboge  was  quickly 
dissolved,  leaving  the  starch  and  dextrine  granules  standing  out 
prominently ;  these,  however,  were  soon  decolorized,  swollen,  and^ 
finally,  dissolved. 
Sample  3  was  heavily  adulterated  with  wheat  flour,  which  showed 
the  characteristic  rounded  and  oval  grains  of  various  sizes,  together 
with  cell-wall  fragments. 
Black  Pepper. — The  four  samples  were  apparently  pure. 
Castile  Soap. — Samples  I  and  2  contained  a  small  quantity  of  com 
starch  and  some  small,  rounded  granules,  which  stained  yellow  with 
iodine,  thus  seeming  to  be  proteid  in  nature,  and,  no  doubt,  were 
aleurone  grains.  A  few  cell-wall  fragments  were  also  found.  Very 
likely  the  adulterant  was  corn  meal. 
Sample  3  was  pure.  Sample  4  contained  a  small  quantity  of  corn 
starch  and  some  cell  fragments. 
Rhubarb. —  -\ 
"It  thus  appears  that  adulterated  drugs  are  found  on  the  market,, 
and  that  the  pharmacist  might  profitably  bring  to  bear  on  this  sub- 
ject the  use  of  a  microscope.  It  is  also  clear,  from  an  investigation 
of  this  kind,  that  it  is  important,  in  these  days  of  powdered  drugs,  to> 
teach  the  use  of  the  microscope  to  the  students  of  colleges  of  phar- 
macy.   Unfortunately,  so  many  pharmacists,  older  as  well  as  newly 
Jalap.— 
Socottine  Aloes. — 
