24       FALSIFICATION  OF  STRYCHNIA  WITH  OXALIC  ACID. 
ON  THE  FALSIFICATION  OF  STRYCHNIA  WITH  OXALIC  ACID. 
The  following  letters,  which  have  been  placed  at  our  disposal 
by  Messrs.  Powers  &  Weightman,  exhibit  one  of  the  most  bare- 
faced frauds  that  has  come  to  our  notice.  They  are  published 
for  the  benefit  of  those  who  have  not  yet  been  victimized.  They 
may  be  of  service  to  others  who  are  in  the  habit  of  buying  drugs 
from  a  species  of  irresponsible  drug  peddlers,  who,  though  frequent- 
ly knaves  themselves,  are  more  often  the  tools  of  greater  knaves 
behind  the  screen.  Drugs  should  never  be  bought  from  irresponsi- 
ble parties,  especially  such  drugs  as  are  not  at  once  recognizable 
by  their  appearance;  and  where,  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  drugs  and 
chemicals  are  purchased  at  auction  for  what  they  will  bring,  and 
without  being  warranted,  the  druggist  should  always  closely  ex- 
amine them,  as  he  alone  is  responsible  for  their  quality  if  they 
are  afterwards  sold  Editor  Am.  Journ.  Pharm. 
Cincinnati,  Dec.  &th,  1855. 
Messrs.  Powers  &  Weightman,  Philadelphia. 
Gentlemen  :  I  was  handed  this  morning,  by  one  of  our  retail  druggists,  a 
specimen  of  strychnia  in  crystals,  which  he  purchased  from  one  of  our 
whoesale  houses,  for  examination.  It  was  put  up  in  oval  bottles,  and 
labeled  similar  to  yours,  sealed  with  black  wax,  and  stamped  F.  P.  &  W., 
and  was  sold  as  your  manufacture. 
I  tested  it  for  strychnia  with  chrom.  potassa  and  sulph.  acid;  it  gave  no 
characteristic  tint  of  the  presence  of  strychnia  ;  the  crystals  tasted  acid, 
and  in  appearance  resembled  oxalic  acid.  I  placed  some  of  them  in  a 
test  tube,  and  poured  some  water  upon  them  ;  they  dissolved  immediately; 
in  the  solution  chlor.  calcium  immediately  caused  a  dense  white  precipitate, 
oxalate  of  lime,  showing  conclusively  that  the  specimen,  from  its  taste, 
solubility  in  water,  and  reaction  with  a  lime  salt,  was  only  oxalic  acid. 
I  have  a  specimen  of  the  same  in  my  possession,  which  is  at  your  disposal. 
This  is  the  most  outrageous  fraud  that  has  come  under  my  observation  for 
some  time,  and  I  think  that  you  ought  to  take  or  make  notice  of  it  through 
the  Journal  of  Pharmacy. 
Yours,  Respectfully,  E.  S.  Wayne. 
P.  S.  I  have  every  reason  to  suppose  that  the  specimen  was  put  up  in 
Philadelphia.  E.  S.  W. 
Cincinnati,  Dec.  10th,  1855. 
Messrs.  Powers  &  Weightman. 
Gentlemen:  We  sent  you  a  small  box,  a  few  days  since,  by  express,  con- 
taining some  vials  filled  with  oxalic  acid,  labelled  strychnine,  and  your 
