140 
Sesame  Oil  in   Olive  Oil. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
1      March,  1891. 
the  oxidation  of  tropine,  and  the  alcoholic  filtrate,  on  evaporation, 
yields  a  brown,  semi-crystalline  mass,  from  which  an  acid  of  the 
composition  C7HnN03  can  be  isolated  without  difficulty. 
Tropinic  acid,  C8H13N04,  melts  at  25 3 0  with  decomposition  (Mer- 
ling  gives  220-2400  as  the  melting-point),  and  is  very  readily 
soluble  in  water,  but  very  sparingly  in  alcohol,  and  insoluble  in 
ether  and  benzene ;  it  decomposes  carbonates,  and  seems  to  be  a 
monocarboxylic  acid.  The  barium  salt,  (C8H12N04)2Ba,  and  the 
calcium  salt  (C8H12N04)2Ca,  are  very  hygroscopic ;  the  zinc  salt 
crystallizes  in  colorless  needles,  and  the  lead  salt  is  soluble  in  water. 
The  silver  salt  is  very  readily  soluble  in  water,  and  is  unstable. 
Tropinic  acid  is  immediately  oxidized  by  potassium  permanganate, 
even  in  the  cold.  The  hydrochloride,  C8H13N04,HC1  -(-  H20,  is 
crystalline,  and  melts  below  ioo°  with  decomposition;  the  auro- 
chloride,  C8H13N04,H  AuCl4,  crystallizes  in  golden  prisms,  and  the 
platinochloride  is  very  readily  soluble.  The  formation  of  tropinic 
acid  from  ecgonine  affords  fresh  evidence  of  the  close  relationship 
existing  between  ecgonine  and  tropine. 
The  acid,  of  the  composition  CHnN03,  referred  to  above,  sepa- 
rates from  water  or  alcohol  in  well-defined  crystals,  melts  at  1 1 7— 
1 1 8°,  and  is  readily  soluble  in  alcohol;  it  decomposes  carbonates 
and  forms  soluble  salts,  but  it  does  not  reduce  potassium  permanga- 
nate like  tropinic  acid.  The  silver  salt,  C7H10NO3Ag,  is  very  readily 
soluble  in  water.  The  calcium  salt,  (C7H10NO3)2Ca,  and  the  barium 
salt,  (C7H10NO3)2Ba,  crystallize  in  needles.  The  hydrochloride  is  a 
crystalline,  deliquescent  compound.  About  14  grams  of  this  sub- 
stance are  obtained  by  the  oxidation  of  100  grams  of  ecgonine. 
TEST  FOR  THE  DETECTION  OF  SESAME  OIL  IN 
OLIVE  OIL.1 
By  J.  F.  Tocher,  A.T.C. 
I  had  occasion  a  short  time  ago  to  examine  some  oils,  and  while 
so  engaged  I  failed  to  find  a  published  reliable  test  for  the  detection 
of  sesame  oil  in  smaller  quantities  than  10  to  25  per  cent.  The 
U.S. P.  test  is  not  reliable  below  20  per  cent.,  and  serves  principally 
as  a  distinctive  test  between  sesame  and  olive  oils.    Considering  the 
liability  of  olive  oil  being  readily  adulterated  with  sesame  oil,  I 
1  Read  January  14,  at  the  evening  meeting  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society,  in 
Edinburgh  ;  reprinted  from  Pharm.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  Jan.  24,  p.  638. 
