2 IS ALCOHOL-TEST FOR THE PURITY OF CASTOR OIL. 
Reduce the vanilla to coarse powder with a portion of 
sugar, and infuse in the boiling water 2 hours ; then strain 
and dissolve the sugar in the infusion. Or, 
Fluid extract of Vanilla, \ oz. 
Simple Syrup, 1 pint. 
Mix. 
Nectar Syrup. — Various mixed syrups have been sold 
under this name. A mixture of ginger and sarsaparilla 
makes a syrup resembling the " nectar syrup," of one of our 
mineral w r ater manufacturers. A mixture of orgeat and 
strawberry is used in some establishments under this title. 
ART. LIT. — OX THE ALCOHOL-TEST OF THE PURITY OF 
CASTOR AND CROTON OILS. 
By Jonathan Pereira, M. D.. F. R. S. 
It is well known that both castor and croton oils are re- 
markable for their great solubility in alcohol, and on this 
property is founded the usual test for determining their 
purity and freedom from other fixed oils. For reasons pre- 
sently to be detailed, I believe this test to be a very falla- 
cious one. 
I. When either castor oil or croton oil is mixed with al- 
cohol, the two liquids exercise a mutual solvent action on 
each other. It is usual to speak of the solubility of castor 
or croton oil in alcohol, but the solubility of alcohol in these 
oils is not even alluded to in chemical and pharmacological 
works. Yet nothing is more easy to prove than that the 
solvent action is mutual. 
Expt. 1. — Sixty-five vols, of English expressed castor-oil 
were mixed with sixty-five vols, of rectified spirit, sp. gr. 
O.S38. By shaking, a uniform, clear mixture was obtained. 
