186  Abstract  Report  Conn.  Agr.  Exp.  Sta.  {Am'AJ^\^am' 
of  the  root  which  is  soluble  in  water,  when  repeatedly  extracted 
with  warm  amyl  alcohol,  yielded  a  viscous  product,  which  possessed 
an  intensely  bitter  taste. 
A  consideration  of  the  results  of  the  present  investigation 
renders  it  evident  that  the  products  which  many  years  ago  received 
the  designations  of  "  taraxacin  "  and  "  taraxacerin  "  were  not  only 
indefinite  in  character,  but  must  have  consisted  of  very  complex 
mixtures.  It  is  therefore  desirable  that  these  names  should  no 
longer  be  retained  in  the  literature. 
The  Wellcome  Chemical  Research  Laboratories, 
London,  E.  C. 
ABSTRACT  FROM  THE  REPORT  OF  THE  CONNECTICUT 
AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION. 
By  John  K.  Thum,  Ph.G.,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
In  part  II  of  the  annual  report  of  the  Connecticut  Agricultural 
Experiment  Station  an  interesting  account  is  given  of  the  work  done 
for  the  year  1912  in  connection  with  food  and  drug  products. 
"  This  station,  is  required  by  law  to  make  examinations  of  food 
and  drug  products,  to  publish  its  findings,  and  to  report  to  the  dairy 
and  food  commissioner  all  cases  of  adulteration  or  misbranding 
which  are  discovered." 
Among  the  food  products  investigated  we  might  mention  the  fol- 
lowing :  canned  goods,  dried  fruits,  gluten  and  special  foods,  honey, 
(which  is  chiefly  adulterated  with  cane  sugar),  commercial  glucose 
and  invert  sugar,  rice,  and  sausage. 
Drug  products  examined  were  acetic  acid,  aconite,  glycerine, 
herion,  magnesium  carbonate,  solution  of  magnesium  citrate,  pare- 
goric, sodium  salicylate,  precipitated  sulphur,  and  turpentine. 
It  was  also  interesting  to  note  that  some  attention  was  given  by 
the  Station  to  exposing  some  proprietary  medicines  that  are  ad- 
vertised and  sold  to  the  public.  The  statement  is  made,  and  it  is 
well-known  among  pharmacists  or  should  be,  that  even  when  the 
claimed  ingredients  are  present  in  a  proprietary  remedy,  as  a  rule 
the  purchaser  pays  an  exorbitant  price  for  it. 
The  work  of  this  Station  in  its  effort  to  put  the  proprietary  or 
"  patent  medicine  "  evil  in  its  proper  light  before  the  public  is  in 
line  with  the  good  work  done  by  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and 
Chemistry  of  the  American  Medical  Association.    And  its  work, 
