238  Crude  and  Powdered  Drugs.  {Am'Mayr'L9oh9arm' 
is  such  as  to  cause  it  to  catch  and  hold  sand  and  other  earthy  matters 
with  great  readiness.  Very  often  the  plant  or  its  branches  become 
broken  down  so  as  to  rest  upon  the  ground,  in  which  case  large 
amounts  of  such  impurities  are  likely  to  be  deposited  upon  them. 
This  tendency  is  greater  when  the  lower  leaves,  existing  before  the 
time  of  flowering,  are  collected,  since  these  leaves  rest  almost  directly 
upon  the  ground.  This,  however,  is  not  the  proper  time  to  collect 
the  drug.  In  the  present  instance,  the  amount  of  sand  is  larger  than 
even  these  conditions  would  account  for  and  there  can  be  little 
doubt  that  a  considerable  quantity  of  it  has  been  intentionally  added. 
Anise  is  another  drug  that  is  very  apt  to  contain  an  excessive 
amount  of  sand,  owing  to  the  natural  conditions  of  its  production, 
and  this  is  true  of  all  fruits  (so-called  seeds)  of  its  class.  Never- 
theless an  anise  that  contains  20  or  25  per  cent,  of  sand  has  not  been 
properly  cleaned. 
This  cumin  fruit  contains  stems  and  chaff  to  the  extent  of  nearly 
25  per  cent.  In  this  drug  the  stems  are  so  heavy  and  hard  to  winnow 
out  that  an  excuse  may  well  be  presented.  Usually  such  stems  can 
be  sifted  out,  but  since  cumin  is  a  very  long  cremocarp,  many  short 
pieces  of  stem  are  likely  to  escape  the  sifting  process.  Nevertheless, 
in  spite  of  these  palliating  circumstances,  it  is  evident  that  there 
must  have  been  carelessness  when  20  to  25  per  cent,  of  such  waste 
matter  occurs  in  the  drug. 
This  specimen  of  lactucarium  is  mouldy  through  and  through, 
and  is  unfit  for  use.  The  natural  tendency  of  this  drug  to  become 
mouldy  in  drying  is  very  great  indeed.  With  suitable  apparatus  this 
accident  can  be  wholly  avoided,  but  a  great  many  small  producers 
are  not  thus  favorably  situated.  Mould  usually  exists  upon  the 
surface  of  the  drug,  but  when  it  permeates  the  entire  mass,  as  in 
this  case,  a  preparation  made  from  it  becomes  almost  as  much  a 
preparation  of  mould  as  of  lactucarium. 
Here  are  some  jambul  seeds  which  have  been  entirely  hollowed 
out  by  worms  and  which  are  quite  unfit  for  use.  It  is  very  difficult 
to  exclude  worms  from  this  drug  but  once  it  has  occurred  the  loss 
should  fall  at  the  place  where  it  occurs,  and  no  attempt  should  be 
made  to  pass  it  along  upon  some  defenseless  consumer. 
This  lot  of  belladonna  leaf  consists  to  the  extent  of  50  per  cent, 
of  stems  and  fruits,  while  another  contains  80  per  cent,  of  stems. 
There  is  often  an  excuse  for  the  presence  of  a  moderate  excess  of 
