20, 1 Del Rosario and Valenzuela: Acetylsalicylic Acid 17 
since the United States Pharmacopeia has, so far, set no 
standards. 
With these conditions in mind we worked on the samples we 
secured from pharmacists and druggists in Manila and here give 
only our findings, without having formulated definite conclusions. 
Table 1 shows the physical characters and constants of eight 
samples; two imported from Germany, two the product of Ger- 
man factories in America, and four of purely American manu- 
facture. 
TABLE 1.—Physical constants of aspirin. 
anes Appearance. Color. Odor. ppen! oon! Ash 
Ltabigsies Silky needles -__.... -. Pinkish white....| Aromatic vinegarlike- -__- 131.5 0.00 
If___.} Crystalline powder.--.)_____ MU sisasencss as WOO ON Sion oes Wise io dace 136 0.00 
III _._| Silky prisms ...._-_--. WWINLG Saco Ssete7) AOE. fon cee eo. 136 0. 00 
IV __.| Crystalline powder___-|_._._ Me ocr ss a Vinevariike <scissccu. > 133 0.00 
V s.se| Wine needles 2... seeds OG eee POMBE 6 oe 127 0.040 
Wiersiiices GOs, cereus GOs cal venues V inégariike 2 oo. 228 181 0.059 
VII_-_} Crystalline powder-.__|__..- nL ne pe ETO Avomatie <.502 sea 131 0. 00 | 
| vin -| Fine needles -.........|---.. fs een Haegae eae O60 silos ae 133 0.00 | 
Discussing the physical constants shown in Table 1, we notice 
that the melting point of 185°C. given by the Pharmacopeia 
Germanica does not coincide with the results obtained from 
the samples examined by us—even with those from Germany. 
The British Pharmacopeia, however, accepts 133° C. 
M. Auerbach, working on samples from three German fac- 
tories for the Court of Arbitration of the Wholesale Druggists’ 
Association of Hamburg,’ fixed the melting point at from 132° 
to 134° C.. « 
An interesting point in this connection is brought out by G. 
Capelli, of the Chemical Laboratory of the Italian Inspectorate 
of Military Hygiene. Capelli advances the idea that the melting 
point of aspirin varies with the solvent used in its crystallization. 
His results, and those of Hans Meyer, are as follows: 
Riivele. ; a) ogy rire 
Water Hy 126-129 cise 
Chloroform Saas se oe Beas 
Benzol 134.5 132.7 
Carbon tetrachloride 184.5 133.7 
AORN ARG WAtE oe ae 128.2 
Aloonel gee water =... 2 565 6 oo 129.3 
* Chemist and Druggist 93 (1920) 1274. 
1836772 
