AM.  JotTR.  PHARM.  ) 
Sept.  1,  1872.  J 
Adulteration  of  Cardamom. 
389 
SYRUPUS  GALLiE  AROMATICUS. 
By  H.  Treverton  Bond,  M.D. 
Allow  me  to  suggest  the  following  formula,  as  identical  in  strength 
and  an  improvement  in  manipulation  on  those  in  use  for  syr.  gallae 
aromaticus : 
R.    Galls,  in  moderately  fine  powder,  .  .  3ss. 
Cinnamon,  Mace,    "  each         .  ^ij. 
Dil.  Alcohol,     .  .  .  .  .    q.  s. 
Transfer  the  powders  to  a  percolator,  and  pour  on  dil.  alcohol  until 
f  3viij  of  tincture  are  obtained.  Evaporate  this  by  gentle  heat  to 
f  %iv  and  add  caramel  and  water,  of  each  f  ^ij. 
Remarks  by  the  Editor. — The  recipes  used  in  Philadelphia  for 
making  this  syrup,  direct  brandy  instead  of  diluted  alcohol,  and  the 
resulting  tincture  is  inflamed  under  a  wire  gauze  upon  which  2  oz.  of 
sugar  have  been  placed.  Besides  the  flavoring  principle  of  the 
brandy,  the  resulting  syrup,  therefore,  contains  some  alcohol,  sugar 
and  little  caramel.  While  we  grant  that  this  manipulation  admits  of 
improvement,  it  will  be  seen  that  the  syrup  obtained  by  Dr.  Bond's 
formula,  though  identical  in  strength,  is  not  identical  in  composition 
with  the  former. 
ADULTERATION  OF  CARDAMOM. 
By  Geo.  W.  Kennedy. 
The  fruit  of  Elettaria  cardamomum,  as  generally  met  with  in  the 
market,  is  free  from  adulteration,  and  one  of  those  drugs  that  are 
least  likely  to  have  any  foreign  matter  added  with  the  view  to  adul- 
terate ;  yet  I  have  to  report  such  to  be  the  case.  A  short  time  since, 
on  opening  a  package  of  cardamom,  in  the  act  of  putting  them  away 
in  their  proper  place,  I  picked  one  up  to  eat  without  looking  at  it, 
and  was  not  long  in  discovering  I  had  something  else  and  not  carda- 
mom at  all,  as  it  was  destitute  of  that  fine  aromatic  odor  and  taste 
characteristic  of  cardamom.  Upon  examination  it  proved  to  be 
orange  seed,  and  I  also  discovered  among  the  cardamom  some  un- 
roasted  coffee  seeds.  The  adulteration,  I  may  state  here,  was  not  a 
very  good  one,  it  being  very  easily  detected,  and  yet  a  person  might 
sell  a  large  amount  of  such  an  article  and  never  notice  the  admixture, 
