AVu°iyRi,mT-}      Adulteration  of  Pareira  Boot,  335 
this  would  go  to  confirm  the  statements  of  Sorby*  and  Phipsonf  who 
found  that  the  coloring  matter  of  the  grape  gave  no  absorption 
bands,  but  only  a  general  darkening  of  the  spectrum.  The  five  re- 
maining samples  of  wine  gave  decidedly  different  spectra,  and  one  of 
them  so  peculiar  that  I  was  led  to  suspect  the  presence  of  fuchsin. 
A  further  examination  by  other  tests  rendered  this  fact  unmistake- 
ably  evident,  and  I  have  since  ascertained  that  a  mixture  of  magenta 
and  a  blue  coloring  matter  known  to  the  trade  as  azalin,  are  largely 
employed  for  the  purpose  of  coloring  cheap  made-up  wines.  These 
colors  are  put  up  and  sold  by  the  dealers  in  wine  and  spirit  doctoring 
materials,  and  are  sold  at  exorbitant  prices. 
In  order  to  detect  the  adulteration,  I  have  found  the  following 
method  to  be  satisfactory,  and  very  easy  of  application.  To  a  portion 
of  the  suspected  wine,  placed  in  a  test  tube,  add  an  equal  volume  of 
fusel  oil ;  agitate  well  and  allow  the  mixture  to  separate,  when,  if  ma- 
genta be  present,  the  supernatant  layer  will  be  more  or  less  tinctured 
of  a  characceristic  pink  or  purple  color.  Genuine  port,  when  so 
treated,  does  not  impart  to  fusel  oil  any  of  its  color,  so  that  the 
slightest  coloration  may  be  taken  as  certain  evidence  of  adulteration. 
If  amylic  alcohol  be  not  at  hand,  ether  may  be  substituted,  but  does 
not  answer  nearly  so  well. 
Considering  the  dark  color  which  factitious  port  must  be  made  to 
assume,  and  the  large  quantity  of  such  wine  that  is  liable  to  be  taken 
at  one  sitting,  it  is  evident  that  the  presence  of  these  poisonous  col- 
oring matters  might  produce  serious,  if  not  fatal  results. — Canadian 
Pharm.  Journ.,  June,  1874. 
NOTE  ON  A  SOPHISTICATION  OF  PAREIRA  ROOT. 
By  John  Moss,  F  .C.  S. 
Late  Demonstrator  in  the  Laboratory  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society. 
It  was  my  intention,  at  the  last  evening  meeting  of  the  Pharmaceu- 
tical Society,  to  have  brought  before  the  notice  of  the  members 
present  a  sophistication  of  pareira  brava  which  has  not,  so  far  as  I 
know,  been  previously  announced.    With  this  object  two  specimens 
had  been  placed  on  the  table,  but  the  press  of  other  matter  crowded 
out  every  opportunity  of  speaking  about  them. 
*  Jour,  of  Microscopical  Science,  Vol.  ix,  p.  338. 
f  Jour,  of  Chem.  Soc,  Feb.,  1870. 
