482  Adulterations  of  Commercial  Pepper.  {^"^•oJ^I'im^'"'^" 
The  object  of  the  chemical  examination  was  to  determine  the  per- 
centage of  piperine  and  resin,  moisture,  and  ash,  and  its  proximate 
constituents. 
CHEMICAL  EXAMINATI0:N^. 
1.  Moisture.  Ten  grammes  of  each  sample  were  dried  in  an  air- 
bath  at  100°  C.  until  there  was  no  loss  in  weight. 
2.  Piperine  and  Resin.  Ten  grammes  of  each  sample  were  exhausted 
with  stronger  ether  (Squibb's),  the  extract  evaporated  in  tared  evapo- 
rating beakers,  and  weighed. 
3.  Ash.  Two  grammes  of  each  sample  were  incinerated  in  weighed 
crucibles,  and  the  weight  obtained.  The  several  ashes  were  treated 
with  hydrochloric  acid,  the  solution  filtered,  hydrogen  sulphide  passed 
through  it,  and  further  treated  wdth  ammonium  sulphide.  Xone  of 
the  filtrates  gave  any  appreciable  coloration  or  precipitate  with  the 
former  reagent,  nor  did  the  precipitate  by  the  latter  indicate  an  undue 
amount  of  iron. 
The  results  of  the  above  examination,  together  with  the  source 
whence  each  sample  was  obtained,  are  embodied  in  the  following  table. 
TABLE  SHOWING  SOURCE  AXD  RESULTS  OF  ANALYSES  OF  TWENTY 
SAMPLES  OF  BLACK  PEPPER. 
No. 
Where  Ground  or  Obtained. 
Moisture 
Ash. 
Piperine 
and 
Eesin. 
Eemarks 
1. 
Philadelphia,  Grinder, 
9-90 
4-50 
7-85 
Pure. 
2. 
London,  Eng.,  Grocery, 
9-08 
5-48 
6-75 
3. 
Boston 
10-69 
5-02 
6-46 
4. 
New  York 
10-29 
4-98 
6-84 
u 
5. 
Philadelphia 
11 
11-81 
5-39 
6-02 
iC 
6. 
(I 
11-34 
7-92 
4-27 
Adulterated. 
7. 
Baltimore 
u 
12-25 
7-37 
4-11 
(( 
8. 
CI 
11-02 
5-17 
5-83 
Pure. 
9. 
Pittsburgh 
10-78 
4-91 
5-98 
<( 
10. 
Chicago 
11 
9-46 
5-90 
6-54 
(( 
n. 
San  Francisco 
a 
10-12 
5-12 
6-89 
(( 
12. 
u 
10-63 
4-93 
7  29 
(( 
13. 
Los  Angeles 
« 
10-86 
4-63 
6-96 
IC 
14. 
9-21 
4-92 
7-18 
K 
15. 
9  53 
4-65 
7-08 
<( 
16. 
Philadelphia  Drug  Store, 
10-14 
4-87 
6-98 
U 
17. 
(( 
(( 
9-91 
5-37 
7-18 
C( 
18. 
ii 
Grocery, 
9-01 
6-75 
6-45 
19. 
11 
<( 
12-60 
7-25 
3-74 
Adulterated. 
20. 
u 
<( 
11-93 
8-59 
8-29 
An  examination  of  this  table  shows : 
