470 
Test  for  Olive  Oil 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
1       Sept.,  1884. 
Sample. 
Specific 
Gravity. 
Moisture, 
per  cent. 
Draff, 
p«r  cent. 
1 
j  Maltose, 
per  cent. 
1 
r 
Dextrin, 
I  per  cent. 
rr*  
1-0206 
11-34 
39-650 
22-065 
15-560 
1-0213 
11-65 
38-100 
1  23-570 
15*900 
1-0223 
11-16 
37-700 
25-155 
16-495 
1-0231 
10'96 
37*0.50 
27  -795 
15-  570 
L  -0241 
10-38 
36-500 
30-910  ; 
14-330 
4      "  "   
1-0247 
10-60  , 
33-650 
36-190 
11-155 
5      "  "   
1-0250 
10-16 
32-250 
40  -785 
8-565 
6      "  "   
1- 02-57 
10-52 
28 -.500 
41-675 
10-510 
1-0260 
10'20 
27-935 
42  -535  , 
12-380 
1-0264 
10-26 
26  215 
43 -.535  1 
14-965 
1-0271 
10-56 
25-900 
44-885 
13-575 
SOLUTIOX  OF  SUBACETATE  OF  LEAD  AS  A  TEST  FOR 
OLIVE  OIL. 
By  S.  S.  Bradford,  Ph.G. 
"When  cotton  seed  oil  is  mixed  with  solution  of  subacetate  of  lead  a 
peculiar  red  color  is  always  produced.  In  the  October  number  of  this 
Journal,  1882,  I  called  attention  to  this  peculiar  color  action  and 
gave  it  as  a  test  for  the  detection  of  this  oil  when  mixed  with  olive  oil 
as  an  adulterant.  The  red  color  produced  by  the  solution  is,  I  am 
fully  convinced,  peculiar  to  this  oil,  as  I  have  been  unable  after  ex- 
perimenting with  the  different  seed  and  animal  oils  for  over  ten  years 
to  obtain  it  from  any  other.  This  alone  would  cause  it  to  be  a  valua- 
ble test,  but  not  only  cotton  seed  but  any  other  oil  can  easily  be 
detected  by  its  use. 
Solution  of  subacetate  of  lead  possesses  the  peculiar  property  of 
saponifying  at  once  when  shaken  in  the  cold  with  pure  olive  oil. 
Xow  if  the  sample  tested  contains  any  cotton  seed,  or  other  oil, 
saponification  will  not  take  place  no  matter  how  long  it  is  allowed  to 
stand,  or  how  well  it  may  be  shaken  ;  if  there  is  any  cotton  seed  oil  in 
the  sample  the  red  color  will  always  be  produced. 
The  want  of  a  reliable  test  for  olive  oil  has  long  been  felt,  and  I 
offer  this  one  after  a  series  of  experiments  with  all  the  different  oils 
covering  a  period  of  over  ten  years,  fully  convinced  that  in  this  test  we 
have  one  that  can  safely  be  relied  on. 
Charlestown,  Mass.,  July,  1884. 
