NOTES  ON  SPANISH  SAFFRON.  307 
rived  from  this  combination  than  by  the  employment  singly  of 
its  components.  In  the  absence  of  any  officinal  or  general  re- 
cipe, I  have  devised  the  following,  which  has  met  with  approval. 
Take  of 
Fluid  Extract  of  Gentian,        2  fluidounces. 
Curagoa,  6  " 
Boiling  Water,  2  " 
Sherry  Wine,  Sufficient  quantity. 
Pyrophosphate  of  Iron,  256  grains. 
The  iron  salt  is  to  be  dissolved  in  the  boiling  water,  to  which 
solution  add  the  fluid  extract  of  gentian  and  curagoa,  and  finally 
sufficient  sherry  wine  to  make  the  whole  measure  one  pint.  The 
result  is  a  bright,  clear  solution,  decidedly  bitter,  yet  palatable 
and  agreeable,  containing  in  each  fluidrachm  the  proper  dose — 
two  grains  of  pyrophosphate  of  iron. 
Gentian,  from  the  fact  that  it  does  not  contain  tannin,  is  an 
eligible  bitter  for  combination  with  iron  ;  and  the  idea  here  sug- 
gests itself  whether  such  a  preparation  is  not  after  all  more  satis- 
factory as  a  tonic  than  those  uncertain  compounds  of  iron  and 
cinchona  barks  vended  under  the  names  of  "Bitter  Wines," 
"Elixirs,"  and  " Ferrated  Elixirs,"  which  are  for  the  most  part 
only  flavored  inks. 
PMlada.,  May  12,  1867. 
NOTES  ON  SPANISH  SAFFRON  (CROCUS  SATIVUS). 
By  Henry  Biroth. 
•  Read  before  the  Chicago  College  of  Pharmacy  April  17,  1867. 
From  some  remarks  on  Saffron  at  one  of  our  meetings  I  have 
been  induced  to  test  its  value  in  regard  to  purity.    I  had  three 
samples  to  dispose  of — one  from  a  New  York  importing  house, 
the  others  from  two  Chicago  wholesale  houses.   I  was  astonished 
to  find  them  all  extensively  adulterated. 
In  100  parts  of  sample  No.  1  found  only  55  parts  genuine  Saffron, 
in     "     No.  2       "        37  " 
in     "     No.  3       "        42  " 
The  rest  were  all  colored  flowers,  mostly  of  Calendula  officinalis. 
It  is  no  wonder  that  saffron  is  adulterated ;  it  shares  the  fate  of 
