Am'jSyj8^8ariu'}    Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  353 
A  NEW  MILK  ADULTERANT. 
A  "  secret  nostrum  for  concealing  the  addition  of  water  to  milk  " 
was  found  by  A.  W.  Stokes  (Analyst,  1897,  p.  321)  to  contain  1-96 
per  cent,  of  dextrin.  It  was  claimed  that  20  per  cent,  of  water[could 
be  added  to  milk  without  fear  of  detection,  provided  four  ounces  of 
the  material  was  added  per  pint  of  milk.  It  was  said  to  be  used 
extensively  in  Australia.  It  could  be  detected  by  the  small  amount 
of  unaltered  starch  it  contained,  which  gave  the  iodine  reaction. 
ADULTERATION  OF  ANISE. 
In  addition  to  the  fact  that  commercial  anise  contains  sometimes 
conium,  as  stated  recently  (in  Pharm.  Centralh.,  1897,  p.  308)  Volkart 
(Schweiz.  Wochenschr.  f.  Chem.  u.  Pharm.)  adds  the  fact  that  such 
adulterated  anise  contains  also  a  considerable  amount  of  the  bluish- 
green  fruits  of  Setaria  glauca,  Beauv.  (Paniceae)  and  commonly  also 
the  fruits  of  Indian  grass  or  hairy  rush  (Echinochloa  cms  galli, 
Beauv.) — Pharm.  Centralh.,  1898,  p.  297. 
SAFFLOWER. 
Under  the  name  of  Safflower,  the  Ber.  d.  D,  Pharm.  Gesellsch., 
1898,  27,  is  authority  for  the  statement  that  some  thousands  of 
kilogrammes  of  ray  flowers  of  Calendula  are  shipped  from  China  to 
America,  and  that  they  are  not  used  as  a  dye-stuff,  but  employed  in 
medicine. — Pharm.  Centralh.f  1898,  p.  297. 
NUTMEGS. 
The  prevailing  opinion  is  that  nutmegs  are  limed  for  the  purpose 
of  destroying  the  germinating  qualities  of  the  seeds.  T>chirch  now 
says  (Schzveiz.  Wochenschr.  f.  Chem.  u,  Pharm. f  1898,  p.  21)  that 
the  object  of  liming  is  solely  to  protect  the  seeds  against  the  attack 
of  insects,  as  the  germinating  vitality,  even  without  this  treatment, 
is  soon  lost. — Pharm.  Centralh  ,  1898,  p.  297. 
OLEUM  MYRISTICE. 
Expressed  oil  of  nutmeg  is  not  expressed  in  the  Molucca  Islands 
from  the  broken  and  much  deteriorated  nutmegs,  but  the  operation 
is  now  carried  on  in  Europe  by  the  employment  of  machines.  In 
Holland  it  is  obtained  by  the  use  of  pressure,  whereas  in  Germany 
it  is  extracted.  In  both  cases,  however,  it  is  liable  to  adulteration 
with  animal  and  vegetable  fixed  oils.  The  pressed  cake  from  which 
