262  Detection  of  Adulterations  in  Beer,  {^"jin^^s^^''''" 
The  evolved  ammonia  is  passed  into  a  solution  of  tartaric  acid  in  ab- 
solute alcohol,  tartrate  of  ammonium  being  insoluble  in  it. —  Tidskr.f 
Phys.  and  Chetn.^  i874« 
Ultimate  Analysis, — Dr.  C.  J.  Keyser  modifies  the  combustion-tube^ 
by  not  drawing  one  end  into  a  point  ;  he  onlv  closes  it  with  a  cork 
provided  with  a  glass-tube  drawn  to  a  point.  In  this  way  he  saves  the 
combustion-tube,  which,  with  some  care,  can  serve  for  several  oper- 
ations.— Farm.  Tidskr.^  I^yS- 
Sale  of  Patent  Medicines  in  Siueden. — A  Frenchman,  Damenez,  ap- 
plied to  the  Board  of  Health  for  permission  to  advertise  and  sell  his- 
specialties  "  in  Sweden  (after  their  being  analyzed  by  the  Board). 
The  Board  replied  that  there  was  nothing  whatever  to  prevent  him 
from  advertising  ;  but,  as  to  the  sale,  none  but  apothecaries  are  per- 
mitted to  sell  medicine  in  any  shape,  and  no  apothecary  is  permitted  to* 
import  compound  medicines,  but  has  to  prepare  them  himself — hence  his 
application  had  to  be  refused. — Farm.  Tidskr..,  1875,  No.  5. 
ON  THE  DETECTION  OF  ADULTERATIONS  IN  BEER. 
BY   DR.   G.   C.  WITTSTEIN.^' 
Without  asserting  that  adulterations  of  malt  liquors  are  practiced,  the 
author  admits  the  possibility  of  such  occurrences,  and  proposes  the  fol- 
lowing course  for  detecting  them  : 
The  addition  of  soda  and  potash  is  best  detected  by  determining  the 
amount  of  ashes,  which,  for  German  beer,  should  not  exceed  |^  per 
cent.  English  ales  yield  a  much  larger  percentage  of  ashes  [see  "Phil. 
Magaz.,"  1849,  3  ^^^-7  xxxiii,  p.  341).  If  glucose  has  been  substituted 
for  a  portion  of  malt,  the  amount  of  extractive  matter  in  beer  will  be 
considerably  reduced.  The  addition  of  glycerin  is  scarceij  to  be  ap- 
prehended on  account  of  its  sweet  taste. 
Of  much  greater  importance  is  the  substitution  of  hops  by  bitter 
drugs,  none  of  which,  however,  contains  the  important  principles  of  the 
former,  namely,  volatile  oil,  resin  and  tannin.  Among  the  drugs  which 
may  possibly  be  used  for  the  purpose  indicated,  bogbean  (menyanthes\ 
gentian,  wormwood  and  quassia,  may  be  regarded  as  innocuous  ;  of 
greater  import  are  the  drastic  drugs,  aloes  and  colocynth,  and  positively 
dangerous  are  colchicum,  cocculus  indicus,  nux  vomica  and  picric  acid. 
Condensed  from  a  reprint  from  "Archiv  der  Pharmacie,"  January,  1875,  <'om- 
jiiunicated  by  the  author. 
