Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ( 
Oct.,  1886.  I 
Commercial  Spanish  Saffron. 
487 
2.  These  hydrocarbons  exist  in  much  smaller  proportion  than  here- 
tofore supposed,  and  are  isolated  with  great  difficulty. 
3.  Oil  of  spearmint  contains,  as  the  oxygenated  portion,  carvol, 
CioHj^O,  which  does  not  solidify  at  —  23°C.,  and  is  precipitated  by 
alcoholic  ammonium  sulphide. 
4.  Oil  of  peppermint  contains,  as  the  oxygenated  portion,  pipmenthol, 
CjoHgoO,  which  is  a  crystalline  solid  at  ordinary  temperatures,  and  is 
not  precipitated,  when  in  solution,  by  alcoholic  ammonium  sulphide. 
5.  Both  oils  contain  resins,  almost  free  from  odor,  and  formed  in 
part  during  the  process  of  distillation. 
ON  THE  PURITY  OF  COMMERCIAL  SPANISH  SAFFRON. 
By  John  M.  Maisch. 
Read  before  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Associatio7L. 
In  order  to  obtain  samples  of  Spanish  saffi'on  which  would  fairly 
represent  its  commercial  quality,  it  was  not  deemed  advisable  to  pro- 
cure them  from  retail  stores;  but  at  the  writer's  request,  a  friend,  who 
uses  considerable  quantities  of  saffron  in  his  business,  procured  a 
number  of  samples  directly  from  importers  and  large  dealers,  in  the 
summer  of  1884,  so  that  the  results  of  my  investigation  may  be 
assumed  to  indicate  the  actual  condition  of  the  market  in  Spanish 
saffron  as  held  in  first  hands.  Two  firms  had  each  sent  a  specimen  of 
Valencia  and  Alicante  saffron,  with  the  statement  that  the  former  was 
of  their  own  importation,  and  the  latter  merely  kept  to  supply  to 
customers  purchasing  cheap  goods.  In  the  following  synopsis  the 
samples  are  grouped  together  in  accordance  with  their  relative  purity, 
and  are  designated  as  was  done  by  the  dealer  ;  the  samples  not  specially 
designated,  are  understood  to  have  been  received  simply  as  Spanish 
saffron." 
1.  Valencia  saffron.  Of  good  appearance  and  odor,  supple  but  not 
clammy ;  consists  of  the  stigmas  with  a  moderate  proportion  of  the 
yellow  style  attached,  and  mixed  with  few  stamens  and  a  still  smaller 
number  of  fragments  of  petals. 
2.  Valencia  saffron.  Closely  resembling  the  preceding,  and  con- 
taining the  same  admixtures,  in  about  the  same  proportion,  except 
that  the  pollen  seems  to  be  present  in  somewhat  larger  quantity  ;  this 
pollen  floats  upon  water,  does  not  separate  a  white  sediment,  and  does 
not  effervesce  with  acids. 
