Fluorescence  for  'Detecting  Adulteration.  305 
always  removed  during  the  isolation  of  the  alkaloids,  and  the  latter 
changes  its  red  color  soon  into  brown. 
Acetate  of  strychnia  is  mostly  decomposed  on  evaporating  its  solution^ 
while  brucia  acetate  is  scarcely  affected  ;  the  residue,  treated  with, 
water,  will  yield  to  this  solvent  mainly  the  brucia  salt,  with  little  strych- 
nia, the  latter  being  precipitated  in  needles  by  cobaltocyanide  of  potas- 
sium, the  cobaltocyanide  of  brucia  being  more  soluble  in  water. — 
F.  A.  Fluckiger. — Ihid.^  p.  403. 
Philoderm'ine^  a  nostrum  prepared  by  Demarson,  Chetelat  &  Co.,  of 
Paris,  is,  according  to  G.  Krause,  a  flavored  mixture  of  lard  and  coco- 
nut oil,  to  which  some  sulphur,  exsiccated  ferrous  sulphate  and  mag- 
nesia has  been  added. — Ihid.^  p.  406. 
ON  FLUORESCENCE  AS  A  MEANS  OF  DETECTING 
ADULTERATION.* 
BY   CHAS.   R.   C.   TICHBORNE,    PH.   D.,   F.   C.  S. 
The  following  note  will  be  interesting  as  illustrating  how  the  fluor- 
escence of  any  substance  may  be  used  for  its  detection  in  the  presence 
of  a  non-fluorescent  substance: 
About  seven  years  ago,  I  made  use  of  this  phenomenon  for  the  de- 
tection of  turmeric  when  present  in  mustard  in  a  report  upon  the  com- 
mercial aspect  of  that  substance,  f 
Lately  it  has  been  referred  to  by  one  of  the  public  analysts  in  Eng- 
land, as  a  method  by  which  turmeric  may  be  detected,  and  as  it  is  so 
extremely  delicate  in  its  results,  and  yet  so  easy  of  application,  I  have 
thought  it  desirable  to  draw  attention  to  the  general  principles  upon 
which  this  phenomenon  of  fluorescence  may  be  used  for  such  purposes^ 
and  also  with  the  view  of  laying  claim  to  the  idea. 
If  the  adulterant  is  fluorescent,  and  the  substance  into  which  it  is  in- 
troduced in  non-fluorescent,  we  have  at  once  a  ready  means  of  exam- 
ining any  number  of  samples  with  much  more  delicacy  than  the  usual 
chemical  reactions  will  give.  Thus,  let  us  take  the  one  to  which  we 
have  already  referred,  the  mustard  of  commerce. 
The  seeds  of  the  black  or  white  mustard  yield  a  yellow,  coloring 
*  Reprint  from  the  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Irish  Academy,  communicated  by 
the  author. 
\  Medical  Press  and  Circular. — Report  on  the  adulteration  of  mustard.  Vol.  8, 
New  series. 
20 
