NOTE  ON  MISTURA  CRET^. 
391 
suspicion  was  aroused  as  to  its  identity.  Under  the  microscope 
it  did  not  show  the  structure  of  pollen ;  treated  with  dilute 
muriatic  acid  it  dissolved  readily,  with  strong  effervescence,  and 
the  solution,  supersaturated  with  ammonia,  produced  with  oxalate 
of  ammonia  a  white  precipitate.  The  powder  consisted  of  pre- 
pared chalk,  colored  by  saffron  and  treated  with  glucose  or  honey 
to  improve  its  pollen-like  appearance,  the  aqueous  infusion  of 
the  powder  giving  abundant  evidence  of  the  presence  of  sugar. 
The  proportion  of  this  adulteration  is  estimated  at  about  10  per 
cent,  of  the  entire  weight. 
A  similar  adulteration  of  saffron,  which  occurred  in  Germany, 
is  noticed  on  page  218  of  this  volume,  the  adulterant  being  gyp- 
sum, used  to  the  amount  of  12  per  cent.  The  employment  of 
ch,alk  for  this  purpose  I  consider  as  quite  an  improvement  on  the 
former. 
The  adulteration  was  doubtless  made  in  Europe  ;  the  saffron 
was  obtained  from  a  first  class  house,  but  had  passed  already 
through  two  hands.  The  saffron  being  otherwise  good,  the  fraud 
is  very  likely  to  deceive,  and  a  close  scrutiny  is  advisable  when- 
ever pollen  is  apparently  adhering  to  saffron. 
P.  S. — After  the  above  was  in  type,  I  received  through 
a  friend  two  samples  from  the  New  York  market,  one  of  which 
was  pure  saffron,  but  collected  with  the  entire  styles,  so  that  it 
was  a  mixture  of  about  one  part  yellow  and  three  parts  saffron 
colored  filaments ;  the  other  sample  consisted  of  some  true  saf- 
fron, but  was  mainly  composed  of  the  florets  of  Carthamus 
partly  broken  up,  and  the  florets  of  Calendula  dyed  red,  and 
rolled  up,  to  resemble  saffron  somewhat.  It  seems,  therefore, 
that  what  I  have  abov©  called  a  elumsy  method  of  adulterating 
saffron,  is  still  practised, — the  product  being  likely  to  satisfy 
the  careless,  and  those  who  invariably  buy  cheap  drugs. 
NOTE  ON  MISTURA  CRETJE. 
Editor  Am.  Journ.  of  Pharmacy  : 
Dear  Sir: — Allow  me  to  recommend  to  your  readers  the  fol- 
lowing formula  for  Mistura  Cretse,  which  yields  a  preparation 
that  does  not  ferment  in  the  warmest  weather  and  always  gives 
satisfaction. 
