122 
Why  do  Syrups  Spoil? 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I      March,  1901. 
For  instance,  there  may  be  prepared  deep-blue,  light-blue,  violet, 
blue,  green,  white,  violet,  red,  and  also  yellow  ultramarines.  All 
these  pigments  are  of  varying  composition,  and,  using  one  and  the 
same  formula,  it  is  exceedingly  difficult,  if  not  almost  impossible, 
to  secure  uniform  results,  as  the  different  lots  are  likely  to  exhibit 
varying  shades  and  have  different  compositions.  Hence  no  positive 
formula  can  be  properly  assigned  to  any  one  ultramarine. 
According  to  some  investigators,  ultramarines  are  considered  to 
be  compounds  of  aluminum-sodium  silicate  with  sodium  sulphide ; 
by  others  they  are  believed  to  be  mixtures  of  aluminum  silicate, 
sodium  polysulphide,  and  sodium  sulphate,  sulphite,  and  hyposul- 
phite ;  still  others  state  them  to  be  aluminum-sodium  silicates  in 
which  a  part  of  the  oxygen  is  replaced  by  sulphur ;  again,  many 
believe  them  to  be  compounds  of  aluminum-sodium  silicate  with 
aluminum  sulphate. 
Whichever  of  these  views  is  taken,  however,  the  broad  fact 
stands  out  that  an  ultramarine  is  to  all  intents  and  purposes  a  sul- 
phide ;  whether  of  aluminum,  silicon  or  sodium  makes  little  differ- 
ence, so  far  as  its  relation  to  our  subject  is  concerned.  When  it  is 
also  added  that  ultramarine  blue  is  capable  of  effecting  all  the  dis- 
turbances of  which  a  readily-decomposable  sulphide  is  capable,  and 
that  it  is  decomposed  by  all  acids,  even  the  weakest,  as  well  as  by 
acid  salts,  such  as  alum,  for  instance ;  when  we  consider  that  it  is 
also  decomposed  by  simply  boiling  (in  syrup  or  water),  we  may  ap- 
prehend what  an  important  influence  its  presence  may  have  in 
syrups  containing  salts  inclined  to  be  unstable. 
The  U.S. P.  demands  that  sugar  be  free  from  untramarine,  yet  it 
is  probable  that  few  pharmacists  note  this  requirement  with  care, 
and  fewer  still  are  likely  to  test  the  sugar  they  buy  to  see  that  it  is 
free  from  this  pigment. 
It  would,  therefore,  appear  expedient,  in  fact  almost  necessary, 
that  a  form  of  sugar  be  made  official  in  the  U.S. P.  now  under  revis- 
ion, which  may  always  be  depended  upon  as  being  absolutely  free 
from  all  disturbing  contaminations  and  impurities,  and  which  shall 
yet  be  within  the  reach  of  every  pharmacist. 
The  sugar  which  will  best  answer  all  requirements  is  white  rock 
candy.  This  sugar,  because  obtained  by  crystallization,  can  always 
be  depended  upon  as  bein^  free  from  ultramarine. 
Attention  having  thus  been  called  to  the  mischievous  properties 
