544 
Valuation  of  Drugs  and  Foods. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
(.  November.  1899. 
(d)  Spigelia  may  be  readily  distinguished  from  Phlox  Carolina  by 
the  fact  that  the  numerous  cells  in  the  cortex  of  the  latter  contain 
crystals  of  calcium  carbonate.  The  proportion  of  phlox  in  the  spi- 
gelia may  be  determined  by  testing  a  sampling  of  the  drug  which 
contains  say  about  ten  pieces  of  rhizome.  If  two  of  these  give  the 
micro-chemical  reactions  for  calcium  carbonate,  then  the  amount  of 
adulterant  may  be  set  down  as  being  probably  20  to  25  per  cent. 
(e)  Crocus. — In  determining  the  value  of  a  sample  of  crocus,  one 
of  the  quickest  ways  is  to  sample  the  drug  and  take  from  10  to  100 
pieces  and  put  them  one  by  one  on  a  slide  containing  concentrated 
H2S04  (C.  P.).  The  number  which  are  colored  blue  in  proportion 
to  the  others  which  are  not  colored  blue  represents  the  percentage 
of  stigmas  of  crocus  in  the  drug. 
The  following  are  the  results  of  an  examination  of  this  kind  made 
by  Mr.  William  S.  Weakley,  a  recent  graduate  of  the  Philadelphia 
College  of  Pharmacy,  upon  nine  samples  of  commercial  saffron : 
Samples. 
Number  of  Fragments 
Colored  Blue  by 
H0SO4. 
Number  Not  Colored 
Blue  with  H2S04. 
90 
IO 
68 
32 
86 
14 
78 
22 
5  •  •  • 
82 
18 
26 
88 
12 
8  .  .  . 
.  48 
52 
9  .  .  . 
46 
54 
(/)  The  study  of  micro-chemical  reactions  for  alkaloids  other  than 
those  already  enumerated  is  attended  with  so  much  uncertainty 
that  it  cannot  be  said  that  they  can  be  employed  with  any  degree  of 
satisfaction  in  the  determination  of  quantitative  values.  I  deem  it 
far  more  expeditious  in  most  cases,  as  in  conium,  cinchona,  guarana, 
cloves,  illicium,  colchici  cormis,  opium,  cocculus,  oleum  ro^ae,  amyg- 
