C. U. C. p. ALUMNI JOURNAL 



101 



June, 1918 



Legal Queries. — During the month, Ammonium Sulphoichthyolate. — R. 



we have answered a number of queries M. G., New Jersey, desires to know 



relating to pharmacy laws, local, state, whether the requirements for the com- 



and national, emphasizing each time that pound of the above-mentioned name, giv- 



the information given was merely the en in the Japanese Pharmacopoeia agree 



personal opinion of a layman. For this w ith the standards set for icnthyol. 



reason we do not print such answers, 

 since in serious legal matters a lawyer 

 should be consulted. 



Philapod.— C. J. B., New York, in 

 reading up on French soldiers' kits, finds 

 among the articles enumerated the item, 

 "philapod." He turns to us for infor- 

 mation. We have searched French 

 journals, books and dictionaries without 

 finding the word, which clearly comes 

 from two Greek words meaning "cover 

 of the foot." We suspect that the mili- 

 tary use of the word applies to some 

 sort of foot-ease powder, a number of 

 recipes for which are found in the books 

 of our library. Have any of our readers 

 further or better information on the sub- 

 ject? 



What is Terra Alba?— R. B. S., New 



We find that the^ specifications for the 

 latter product given in New and Non- 

 Official Remedies include: (a) not more 

 than 47 per cent, loss on drying at ioo° 

 C ; (b) 5.7 to 6.2 per cent, of ammonium 

 sulphate ; (c) at least 10 per cent, of total 

 sulphur; at l«ast 5.5 per cent, of organic 

 (sulphide) sulphur. 



The Japanese Pharmacopoeia, on the 

 other hand, accepts as ammonium sul- 

 phoichthyolate: (a) 50 per cent, loss on 

 drying at 100° ; (b) 7 to 8 per cent, of 

 total sulphur. No standards are set for 

 organic sulphur. 



A curious result of wording is shown 

 in this case, where we consulted the of- 

 ficial English translation of the Japanese 

 Pharmacopoeia of 1907. In the direc- 

 tions for the total sulphur assay, we find 

 "If 0.5 gramme of the salt, dried at 

 100° C., be mixed with 2 grammes of 

 potassium nitrate the resulting solu- 



"S'ork. — This question was put in an in- tion should on addition of barium chlo- 

 teresting paper by Prof. C. H. LaWall in ride solution, produce 0.51 to 0.62 

 the /htierican Journal of Pharmacy for gramme of barium sulphate." Do these 



February, 1913. Of course, we all know 

 that it is a white earthy substance used 

 to adulterate confectionery, but Profes- 

 sor La\\'all found that authoritative 

 books on chemistry and pharmacy either 

 io^nored the subject or gave remarkably 

 discordant information. He finally de- 

 cided that the best definition for terra 

 alba is that given in Webster's Interna- 

 tional Dictionary of 1900. which states 

 that it consist's of ''burnt gypsum, alum- 

 inum silicate (kaolin) or some similar 

 ingredient, as magnesia." To this might 

 be added the fact that barium sulphate 

 is sometimes used as "terra alba." 



directions mean weighing out of 0.5 

 gramme of the moist official product and 

 then after drying, proceeding to add pot- 

 assium nitrate, etc.? Or do they mean 

 that the official product is to be dried, 

 after which 0.5 gramme of the dry sub- 

 stance is to be weighed ? If the first is 

 intended the total sulphur content is fixed 

 at 7 to 8 per cent. If the second obtains 

 then the sul])hur content should be 14 to 

 1^1 per cent. 



Herniaria. — Z. A. B., New York. — 

 You will find a description of this herb 

 in the Journal for January, 1918, page 8. 



