TOBACCO.
261
In a second series of experiments, where 100 grains of each of the dried tobaccoes, asunder, were digested for two hours in 4,000 grains of distilled water, at the temperatureof 176° F., the following results were obtained :—
Dried residuum. Soluble or extract.
BB
_
_
-
_
56-7
43-3
CC
_
-
.
-
56-0
44-0
FF
_
.
_
54-7
45-3
MM
-
_
.
63-7
36-3
OO
-
-
_
58-2
41-8
_
-
-
_
54-0
46-0
XX
-
-
-
-
57-7
42-3
Thus, by a longer digestion with heat, and a larger quantity of water, more solublematter or extract is obtained, and also in different proportions, from the same samples :
Dried residuum. Soluble or extract.
It may, moreover, be remarked, that none of the tobaccoes, either adulterated or gen-uine, yielded so great a proportion of extract as Mr. G. Phillips asserts.
It will be observed from the table of the specific gravity of the infusion of 100grains of the respective tobaccoes, in 1,000 grains of water, at 70° F. (with triturationin a mortar), that QQ afforded the densest liquor, having a specific gravity of 1-021.I was hence led to imagine that this sample was adulterated with some soluble sub-stances, and possibly with sugar, of which such a handle had been made in the exciseprosecutions. I therefore boiled 1,000 grains of that sample with 5,000 grains of dis-tilled water, and evaporated the soluble matter to a solid extract, which weighed 400grains. These were next digested in 3,000 grain-measures of alcohol of 0-834, and theyleft 330 grains insoluble in this menstruum. The matter insoluble in alcohol shouldhave contained the sugar if any were present; but when it was treated with nitric acidof proper density and temperature, it afforded no oxalic acid whatever; even.by the testof chloride of calcium. Hence I inferred that if sugar had been mixed with that tobac-co, it could not be discovered by probably the best test of sugar in common circum-stances ; and indeed, on looking now into the actual composition of sample Q, we findit to contain only 2 per cent, of sugar, mixed with 4 of nitrate of ammonia, 1 of com-mon salt, 1 of the mixed nitrates of potash and muriate of potash, and one of alum. Asthe infusion of 100 grains of X X in 1,000 of water was next in density, being 1,019, Itreated 1,000 grains of it as I had done with Q Q, and obtained 600 grains of wateryextract, which, being digested in alcohol, left 330 grains like the preceding. When thisalso was treated with nitric acid, it afforded no oxalic. I therefore abandoned this lineof research as unprofitable.
It occurred to me that muriate or nitrate of ammonia might have been employed inadulterating some of the samples of tobacco. To ascertain this point, I distilled 100grains of each sumple along with water and quicklime, condensing the vapors, andtesting the distilled liquid for ammonia:—
B B afforded
_
-
- 0-68 of
ammonia.
CC “
_
-
- 0-34
CC
F F «
_
_
-
- 0-347
CC
MM “
_
-
-
- 0-51
CC
OO “
_
-
- 0-238
CC
QQ “
-
-
-
- 0-765
CC >
XX “
-
-
-
- 0-68
CC
-
-
- 0-58
CC
Virginia
“
- 0-64
CC
Ammonia exists in the saline state in all tobaccoes, but here in Q Q in notable excess,corresponding to the 4 per cent, of crude nitrate of ammonia, which had been intro-duced by the mixers. So far this experiment has a positive result.
The filtered cold infusions of 100 grains of each dried sample in 1,000 grains of dis-tilled water were examined by many chemical tests, as follows :—
1. Virginia taken as a standard :
Infusion pale brown; acid reaction with litmus paper; nitrate of barytes, O ; nitrateof silver, a faint opalescence, but no curdy precipitate; oxalate of ammonia, a faintcloud of calcareous matter; water of ammonia, O : chlorure of tin, a faint white pre-cipitate—hence no sulphuretted hydrogen present; chloride of platinum, a copious