Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  | 
Jan.,  1883.  | 
The  Kola-Nut  Tree. 
27 
4-6°  and  -[-8°.  Poppy  oil,  on  the  other  hand,  does  not  solidify 
till  — 8°  to  — 12°,  forming  an  opaque  whitish  mass. 
Olive  oil  mixed  with  peanut  oil  at  plus  8  deg.  deposits  particles 
resembling  grains  of  sand,  which  sink  to  the  bottom  of  the  vessel,  leav- 
ing the  upper  liquid  perfectly  clear ;  whereas  when  olive  oil  is  cooled 
down  to  +4,  it  concretes,  and  the  particles  remain  suspended  in  the 
liquid. 
Sulphuric  acid  is  likewise  of  value  in  recognizing  thepurity  of  olive  oil. 
If  a  drop  of  sulphuric  acid,  marking  66°  Baume,  is  added  to  ten 
or  fifteen  drops  of  oil  in  a  colourless  glass  over  a  sheet  of  white  paper, 
after  a  short  while  a  coloration  is  developed,  which  varies  according 
to  the  kind  of  oil  examined. 
Olive  oil :  light  yellow,  turning  into  yellowish  green. 
Poppy  oil :  canary  yellow,  then  a  dull  yellow. 
Peanut  oil  :  yellow,  dirty  gray. 
Sesame  oil :  bright  red. 
The  adulteration  of  olive  oil  by  means  of  honey  is  practiced,  more 
especially  in  Provence.  For  its  detection  the  suspected  oil  is  treated 
with  water,  then  evaporated  ;  after  which  the  oleaginous  portion  is 
separated  from  the  part  dissolved  by  the  w^ater.  This  then  has  a  sweet- 
ish taste  which  it  does  not  have  when  in  contact  with  pure  olive  oil, 
thus  proving  it  to  be  of  totally  different  origin. —  Chemists'  Jour., 
Nov.  3,  1882;  Jour,  des  Connaissances  Utiles,  vi,  129  and  158. 
THE  KOLA-NUT  TKEE. 
By  Thomas  Christy,  F.L.S. 
I  introduced  the  Kola  Nut  (Stereulla  acuminata)  into  England  about 
eight  years  since,  and  it  has  lately  been  subjected  to  European  analysis,^ 
and  the  results  obtained  made  it  exceedingly  likely  that  a  large 
European  demand  will  soon  exist.  It  has  been  found  to  contain  the 
same  active  principle,  viz.,  caffeine,  and  more  of  it  than  the  best  coffee^ 
and  to  contain  also  the  same  active  principle  as  cacao,  but  less  fatty 
matter.  Possessing  the  same  qualities  as  these  favorite  beverages,  it 
only  needs  proper  treatment  to  develop  a  special  flavor,  and  it  would 
then  probably  be  able  to  compete  successfully  with  those  beverages- 
The  nuts  are  used  to  form  a  refreshing  and  invigorating  drink  through- 
out a  large  portion  of  tropical  Africa,  their  use  being  said  to  support 
the  strength,  allay  inordinate  appetite,  assuage,  thirst,  and  promote 
^  See  ''New  Commercial  Plants,"  Nos.  iii  and  vi. 
