Am.  jour.  Pharm. ) 
July,  1885.  f 
Spurious  Cubebs. 
349 
tincture,  did  not  materially  differ  from  those  descibed  by  Mr.  Holmes, 
but  I  would  like  to  make  the  following  addition.  I  found  that  a  tinc- 
ture of  the  true  drug  treated  with  an  excess  of  strong  sulphuric  acid 
developed  a  decided  deep  violet  coloration,  and  then  when  poured  into 
water  formed  an  opalescent  deep  blue  solution.  The  false  tincture,  on 
the  other  hand,  when  treated  in  a  similar  manner,  gave  with  the  sul- 
phuric acid  a  reddish  brown  color,  which,  on  pouring  into  water, 
changed  to  a  dirty  yellow  opalescence,  without  a  shade  of  blue.  This 
suggested  to  me  that  from  the  distinct  colors  obtained  it  might  be  pos- 
sible to  form  some  estimate  of  the  extent  of  the  substitution,  and  with 
this  end  in  view  the  following  experiments  were  performed  : 
A  tincture  of  the  true,  flilse  and  suspected  powders  was  separately 
made  with  rectified  spirit,  each  being  of  the  same  strength  as  the  offi- 
cial tincture. 
One  cc.  of  each  was  then  treated  with  10  cc.  of  strong  sulphuric 
acid  (sp.  gr.  1*843),  when  the  following  colors  were  developed  : 
True.  P'alse.  Suspected  sample. 
Deep  violet.  Deep  red  brown.  Dull  violet. 
These  acid  mixtures  were  then  poured  into  separate  beakers,  each 
containing  four  fluid  ounces  of  distilled  water,  standing  on  a  white 
tile,  with  the  result  that  the  following  colors  were  observed : 
True.  False.  Suspected  sample. 
Opalescent.  Opalescent.  Opalescent. 
Deep  blue.  Dirty  yellow.  A  very  indistinct  blue  with 
a  decided  tinge  of  green. 
The  above  colors  were  very  distinct,  and  showed  in  the  suspected 
sample  undoubted  presence  of  the  two  former  colors. 
The  tinctures  of  the  true  and  false  drugs  were  next  adjusted  until 
the  color  obtained  under  the  same  treatment  represented  that  of  the 
suspected  mixture,  when  the  relative  proportions  required  were  0*74  cc. 
of  the  true  and  0'26  cc.  of  the  false  tinctures,  which  would  represent 
an  adulteration  to  the  extent  of  26  per  cent. 
I  do  not,  of  course,  recommend  the  above  as  an  accurate  colori- 
metric  method  for  estimating  the  adulteration,  but,  from  subsequent 
experiments,  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  in  the  absence  of  reli- 
able microscopical  evidence  it  forms  an  easy  means,  not  only  of  detect- 
ing the  adulteration,  but  of  forming  an  approximate  idea  as  to  the 
extent  of  this  obnoxious,  and  evidently  irritable  and  dangerous  substi- 
tution for  a  most  useful  drug. — Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  June  6, 
1885. 
