Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1884. 
Sophisticated  Saffron. 
329 
genuine  saffron.  Ten  grains  were  then  placed  under  a  bell  jar  and 
allowed  to  dry  until  the  weight  became  constant.  The  loss  was  found 
to  be  *25  grain,  thus  bringing  up  the  ash  of  a  thoroughly  dry  specimen 
to  5*12  per  cent. 
The  suspected  saffron  was  very  dry ;  but  there  was  nothing  in  the 
color  to  indicate  the  presence  of  mineral  matter.  There  was  no  per- 
ceptible effervescence  on  the  addition  of  dilute  HO,  either  in  the  pow- 
der or  the  saffron ,  proving  absence  of  CaC03.  Ten  grains  of  the  saf- 
fron, freed  as  much  as  possible  from  powder  by  shaking  and  rubbing, 
yielded  2  grains,  equaling  20  per  cent,  of  ash,  showing  14*88  per  cent, 
of  adulteration,  even  after  being  freed  from  all  loose  powder,  when 
compared  with  a  dry  specimen  of  pure  saffron.  Ten  grains  of  the 
loose  powder  (containing  a  small  quantity  of  saffron)  were  then  incin- 
erated and  yielded  0*5  grains  of  ash,  the  bulk  of  which  was  insoluble  in 
boiling  HN03,  and  gave  the  characteristic  flame  of  barium.  An  atlempt 
to  ascertain  the  exact  nature  of  the  ash  from  a  further  10  grains  of 
powder  was  frustrated  by  an  unfortunate  accident  resulting  in  the  loss 
of  the  whole.  The  remaining  saffron  and  powder  were  then  inciner- 
ated and  the  ash  analyzed  with  results  as  given  below.  This  ash  of 
course  contains  a  proportion  of  normal  ash,  but  the  source  of  adulter- 
ation is  proved  beyond  doubt. 
Constituents  of  ash  expressed  as  parts  per  100 : 
BaS04   64-28 
CaSO,  .'   14-57 
A1203^  with  trace  of  Fe   10-71 
Salts  of  K  and  Na   9*28 
98-84 
Remarks. — It  is  of  course  impossible  to  accurately  estimate  the 
amount  of  adulteration,  but  I  think  it  may  be  safely  set  down  at 
from  25  to  30  per  cent.  I  regret  that  I  did  not  first  make  a  micro- 
scopical examination,  for  although  a  large  quantity  of  the  powder  must 
have  fallen  off,  still  sufficient  was  left  on  to  have  been  indicated  by 
the  microscope.  Both  these  samples  were  from  houses  of  the  highest 
standing,  and  in  each  case  the  top  market  price  was  paid,  the  adulter- 
ated specimen  costing  50s.  a  few  months  ago,  and  the  pure  48s.  per 
pound  in  January  last.  Another  proof  is  thus  afforded,  that  neither 
the  price  paid  nor  the  reputation  of  the  wholesale  house  is  at  all  times 
a  sufficient  guarantee  of  genuineness. — Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  March 
15,  1884,  p.  738. 
