490 
Commercial  Spanish  Saffron. 
Am.  Jour.  Pliai  ui^ 
Oct.,  1885. 
cient  quantity  to  supply  our  market;  this  condition  of  affairs  might 
perhaps  be  altered  in  the  course  of  a  few  }  ears,  if  dealers  would  con- 
sent to  pay  the  price  demanded  by  the  domestic  producers  of  saffron, 
namely  an  equal  weight  of  silver  coin.  Sample  No.  13  seems  to  indi- 
cate, that  some  persons  are  still  selling  safHower  in  the  place  of 
Spanish  saffron. 
In  the  investigation  of  the  samples  procured  in  1884,  no  attempt 
was  made  to  determine  the  percentage  of  impurities ;  but  that  there 
are  different  grades  of  ^'  Valencia  saffron  in  the  market,  and  that 
"  Alicante  "  saffron  is  manufactured  so  as  to  contain  sometimes  much 
less  than  half  its  weight  of  crocus  stigmas,  becomes  evident  when 
price  lists  are  consulted.  In  proof  of  this  assertion  the  following 
statements  are  quoted  from  a  trade  circular  from  the  southern  part  of 
France,  issued  near  the  close  of  July,  1885. 
"  No  fresh  supplies  being  brought  to  the  Valencia  market,  on- 
account  of  the  cholera  there,  stock  has  decreased  to  about  10,000  Ib.^ 
and  although  business  ap[)ears  at  a  stand-still  for  the  moment,  prices 
are  kept  firm  and  show  an  upward  tendency.  Real  extra  superior 
Valencia  is  wanting.  Superior  Valencia  is  being  kept  at  francs  81*75 
to  f.  83*75  per  kilo  f.  o.  b.  (=  29  shil.  8  pence  to  30  shil.  per  lb.  f. 
V.  C),  and  good  pure  Valencia  fetches  from  f.  78*75  to  f.  77. — per 
ko.  f.  V.  C.  as  to  quality  (=  28  shil.  7  pence  to  27  shil.  11  pence  per 
lb.  f.  o.  b.)  —  For  Alicante  adulterated  saffron  our  makers  on  the  spot 
ask,  say  for  extra  superior  Alicante,  f.  52. — per  ko.  f.  v.  C.  (=  18  shiL 
10  pence  per  lb.  f.  o.  b.),  and  for  lower  grades  from  f.  40. — to  f.  30. — 
per  ko.  f.  o.  b.  as  to  quality  {=  14  shil.  6  pence  to  10  shil.  10  pence 
per  lb.  f.  o.  b.).  All  above  quotations  to  be  understood  for  cases  of 
^  tins,  each  of  25  lb.  net." 
Nearly  all  European  writers  on  materia  medica  have,  during  the 
present  century,  regarded  French  as  being  superior  to  Spanish  saffron. 
A.  L.  A.  Fee  (Hist.  Natur.  Pharmac,  1828,  I,  341),  Guibourt  (Hist.. 
Natur.  des  drogues  simples  IV),  Soubeiran  (Nouv.  Diction,  des  Falsif.,. 
etc.,  1874,  p.  494),  Baillon  (Botan.  Medic.  1884,  p.  1422),  and  other 
French  authors  describe  Gatinais  saffron  as  the  best  and  purest,  con- 
taining but  few  styles,  while  the  saffron  from  Angouleme  and  Avignon 
contains  a  considerable  quantity  of  this  admixture.  Soubeiran  alsa 
states  that  Spanish  saffron  (doubtless  the  best  quality  is  meant)  differs 
little  from  that  of  Gatinais,  contains  fewer  yellow  threads  and  is  more- 
dry  and  red ;  but  that  it  is  frequently  adulterated.    The  same  general 
