As?ptJembefhi™-}    Elm  Bark,  Flaxseed  and  Mustard.  459 
EXAMINATION  OF  ELM  BARK,  FLAXSEED  AND  MUS- 
TARD FOR  STARCH.1 
By  J.  U.  Lloyd.  — — 
Presented  to  the  Amer.  Pharm.  Assoc.,  Denver  meeting,  1895. 
Owing  to  the  alterations  in  our  library  building,  necessitating  the 
storing  of  its  contents,  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  refer  to  the  litera- 
ture connected  with  this  subject.    References  thereto  will,  perhaps, 
be  added  later. 
The  immediate  object  is  a  consideration  of  the  subject  of  starch 
in  connection  with  the  aforenamed  substances,  a  subject  now  of 
great  importance  to  Ohio  pharmacists.  The  question  is,  does  elm 
bark  contain  starch  at  all ;  do  flaxseed  and  mustard,  if  free  from 
starch -bearing  seeds,  ever  contain  starch,  and  is  it  practical  in  com- 
merce  to  apply  the  rigid  tests  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  to  ground  flax- 
seed and  powdered  mustard  ? 
In  Chem.  Zeitung,  1890,  p.  688,  the  following  statement  is  found, 
coming  from  Prof.  Hilger,  in  Erlangen  : 
"  Small  quantities  of  starch  grains,  of  various  origin,  if  found  in 
ground  spices,  should  not,  by  necessity,  detract  from  their  being 
considered  as  honest  goods  in  trade." 
ELM  BARK. 
The  inner  bark  of  Ulmus  fulva,  Michaux  (nat.  ord.  Urticacese). 
In  flat  pieces,  varying  in  length  and  width,  about  3  mm.  thick,  tough,  pale 
brownish-white,  the  inner  surface  finely  ridged  ;  fracture  fibrous  and  mealy  ; 
the  transverse  section  delicately  checkered  ;  odor  slight,  peculiar  ;  taste  muci- 
laginous, insipid. — U.  S.  P. 
It  will  be  observed  that  no  chemical  test  is  given  by  which  we 
can  be  governed  concerning  adulteration  of  the  powdered  bark. 
In  referring  to  other  authorities,  little  information  is  to  be  found, 
and  even  their  brief  statements  concerning  the  presence  of  starch 
do  not  agree.  Since  the  larger  share  of  elm  is  consumed  as  pow- 
dered elm,  and  since  druggists  do  not  powder  it,  but  rely  altogether 
on  trade  millers,  the  subject  of  simple  tests  and  rules  as  to  purity 
are  now,  in  Ohio,  at  least,  of  great  importance.  In  the  face  of  con- 
flicting reports  made  by  advocates  who  claim  that  elm  bark  does 
not  contain  starch,  and  those  who  claim  that  it  does  contain  starch, 
1  For  valuable  assistance  in  detail  work,  the  thanks  of  the  author  are  extended 
to  Dr.  Sigmond  Waldbott. 
