324 
SPURIOUS CHEMICALS. 
agents. Within the last few years compounds of valerianic 
acid with oxide of iron, with oxide of zinc, and with quina, 
have been introduced into medicinal practice as efficacious 
remedies, especially in hysteria, and other affections of the 
nervous and uterine system, and in fevers. A good deal 
of attention has been devoted by practical Chemists to the 
preparation of these valerianates, and several processes for 
making them have been published in this and other Jour- 
nals. The valerianates, however, have always, and neces- 
sarily, been expensive preparations, yet the use of them has 
been gradually extended in consequence of the testimony 
borne to their great efficacy. Increased demand led to 
competition in the supply, which has recently resulted in 
the adoption, by some manufacturers, of a system of sub- 
stitutions that would have speedily brought a valuable set 
of remedies into disrepute, had not the fraudulent practice 
been detected. 
Citrate and tartrate of iron, flavored with a few drops of 
oil of valerian, has been extensively supplied for valerianate 
of iron ; and acetate of zinc, flavored in the same way, 
has been substituted for valerianate of zinc; and these 
spurious compounds have been sold at prices which, 
although defying competition on the part of the genuine 
valerianates, have nevertheless been twenty or thirty times 
greater than the commercial value of the substituted articles. 
For valerianate of quina the disulphate of that base, with a 
little oil of valerian to disguise it, has been in like manner 
substituted. 
Thus compounds have been supplied for the three 
medicinal valerianates, which have not contained a particle 
of the most important of the constituents which should have 
been present, namely, the valerianic acid. 
Such being the nature of the frauds which have been 
practised, we have no doubt, upon many of our readers, 
we proceed to point out the means of detecting them. 
