"Dutch pink." If teas so
treated are shaken up in cold water the coloring matter will wash off.
(_d_) Sand and iron filings are occasionally added for weight;
observation, and the fact that they sink when tea is thrown in water,
will show their presence. Iron filings may be readily found by using a
magnet. (_e_) The presence of starch may be shown by washing the tea
in cold water, straining it, and testing the solution in the following
manner: dissolve one-half teaspoonful of potassium iodide in three
ounces of water and add as much iodine as the solution will dissolve;
a few drops of this solution added to the suspected sample will give a
blue color if starch is present.

=Coffee.=--Coffee should always be purchased in the bean, as ground
coffee is much more frequently adulterated and the foreign substances
are more difficult to detect.

The adulterants commonly used are: chicory, peas, beans, peanuts, and
pellets of roasted wheat flour, rye, corn, or barley.

Fat globules are always present in pure coffee; their presence may be
shown by the fact that imitation coffee sinks in water, while pure
coffee floats.

Chicory is the most frequently used adulterant; it is added for flavor
and to produce a darker infusion, thus giving the impression of
greater strength. It is perfectly harmless and as a drink is actually
preferred by some people. Its detection is comparatively easy. Chicory
grains are dark, gummy, soft, and bitter; coffee grains are hard and
brittle; a small amount put in the mouth will demonstrate the
difference. Chicory will often adhere to the wheels of a coffee
grinder, clogging them on account of its gummy consistency.

When a sample of adulterated coffee is thrown in water the pure coffee
floats and leaves the water unstained; chicory sinks almost instantly,
coloring the water, while peas and beans sink more slowly but also
color the water.

Peas and beans are also detected by the polished appearance of the
broken or crushed grains in marked contrast to the dull surface of
crushed coffee.

The presence of peas, beans, rye, wheat, bread crumbs, and allied
substances may be shown by the fact that they all contain starch.

Make a ten per cent infusion of the suspected coffee; filter it, and
decolorize the solution by boiling it with a piece of animal charcoal.
Test the decolorized solution by slowly adding a few drops of the
"potassium-iodide-iodine solution," directions for preparing which
were g