Am.  Jour.  Pharm.) 
December,  1913.  j 
Chicory  and  Coffee. 
537 
Samples  of  two  genuine  specimens  of  roasted  and  ground  chicory 
showed  the  following  results  expressed  in  the  same  manner : 
Per  cent,  of  reducing 
sugars  in  extractive 
27.67 
25.20 
It  will  be  seen  on  comparing  the  results  of  coffee  and  chicory  that 
the  extractive  matter  alone  affords  no  definite  information  upon  which 
to  base  a  conclusion  but  that  the  percentage  of  reducing  sugars  in 
the  extractive  matter  is  so  widely  different  as  to  afford  a  ready  means 
of  detecting  chicory  in  a  decoction  of  coffee. 
Sample  mixtures  of  chicory  and  coffee  were  made  up,  using  the 
chicory  showing  the  lowest  ratio  and  the  coffee  showing  the  highest 
ratio.   The  results  were  as  follows : 
Per  cent,  of  Per  cent,  of  reducing 
Mixture                               extractive  sugars  in  extractive 
2  per  cent,  chicory,  98  per  cent,  coffee         1.92  2.52 
5  per  cent,  chicory,  95  per  cent,  coffee.  ...  1.96  4.62 
10  per  cent,  chicory,  90  per  cent,  coffee.  . .  .  2.06  5.26 
15  per  cent,  chicory,  85  per  cent,  coffee. . .  .  2.10  7.1 1 
20  per  cent,  chicory,  80  per  cent,  coffee.  . .  .  2.52  8.31 
25  per  cent,  chicory,  75  per  cent,  coffee  2.26  9.25 
With  the  exception  of  the  sample  in  which  2  per  cent,  chicory 
and  98  per  cent,  coffee  were  used,  which  is  just  within  the  limits  of 
the  highest  ratio  observed  in  a  pure  coffee,  the  results  all  decisively 
and  positively  point  to  the  adulteration  of  the  coffee  with  a  substance 
high  in  reducing  sugars.  The  addition  of  5  per  cent,  of  cane  sugar 
to  95  per  cent,  of  coffee  did  not  appreciably  alter  the  results  by  the 
reducing  sugars  method,  as  shown  by  the  following  figures : 
Per  cent,  of  Per  cent,  of  reducing 
extractive  sugars  in  extractive 
Coffee  95  per  cent.,  cane  sugar  5  per  cent.. .  2.40  1.93 
While  the  addition  of  the  cane  sugar  could  very  readily  be 
detected  by  a  polarimetric  examination,  the  above  mixture  showing  a 
reading  of  several  degrees  in  a  200  mm.  tube,  the  reading  of  the  pure 
chicory  decoction  (containing  more  than  ten  times  the  amount  of 
reducing  sugars)  was  negative,  owing  presumably  to  an  approxi- 
mate balancing  of  dextrose  and  levulose  in  the  mixture. 
It  was  also  found  that  the  ozazone  produced  in  the  chicory  decoc- 
No. 
1  Chicory 
2  Chicory 
Per  cent,  of 
extractive 
..  4.70 
.  .  6.IO 
