C U. C. p. AULMNI JOURNAL 



highly technical branch demanding wide 

 experience, use the instrument as a pre- 

 liminary to more detailed work in the 

 examination of materials of unknown 

 composition and about which they have 

 little information. This employment of 

 microscopic methods as useful, but not 

 entirely definite, preliminaries is prob- 

 ably as far as the majority of general 

 analysts are capable of going unless they 

 have been especially trained in micro- 

 technic, but I imagine scarcely anyone 

 will doubt the utility of such informa- 

 tion, gained at so little expense of time 

 and labor. 



To a great extent the minor drugs and 

 quite a few of more importance cannot 

 be definitely determined by chemical 

 means. Some of my chemist friends 

 who have been engaged in the analysis 

 of proprietary remedies in connection 

 with Health Board regulations regard- 

 ing the sale and labelling of such articles, 

 have found it difficult, if not entirely im- 

 possible, to chemically determine the 

 presence or absence of many substances 

 said to enter into their manufacture. In 

 cases where a powdered drug was pres- 

 ent they have resorted to microscopic 

 determination and have based their re- 

 ports upon it. To illustrate the condi- 

 tions they have encountered I cite a few 

 instances. An itch powder was found 

 to contain cow-itch or cowage mixed 

 with starch ; the latter was determined 

 chemically but the active ingredient es- 

 caped discovery until a microscopic prep- 

 aration of the material was examined. 

 No chemical work should have been 

 necessary in the identification of this 

 sample as both ingredients have definite 

 histologic structure. In dealing with the 

 small amounts of cocaine gathered from 

 illicit vendors of this narcotic entire reli- 



ance has been placed upon microchem- 

 ical methods of determination. A cer- 

 tain remedy in the form of a granular 

 powder was submitted for examination 

 and upon ether extraction yielded a 

 volatile oil resembling eucalyptol. The 

 question arose as to whether eucalyptus 

 leaves were present or whether the mate- 

 rial was merely a filler mixed with 

 eucalyptol. Upon microscopic examina- 

 tion eucahptus leaves were found to- 

 gether with a large amount of foreign 

 leaves used as filler. 



r\Iany foods and particularly spices 

 may contain adulterants which are not 

 readily identified or which are impossible 

 of recognition by chemical means, but 

 the number of these articles which are 

 incapable of analysis by either chemical 

 or microscopic means, or a combination 

 of both, is very small and almost negli- 

 gible. The recognition to be accorded 

 microanalysis in the forthcoming revi- 

 sions of the Pharmacopoeia and National 

 i-'ormulary will go a great way toward 

 popularizing the microscopic method of 

 identifying and standardizing drugs. It 

 is the official sanction of another means 

 to this end, placing microscopic exami- 

 nation upon a plane with already exist- 

 ing methods of chemical, physiological 

 and botanical valuation. 



Metallurgical and Mineralogical Work. 



The use of the microscope in identifi- 

 cation and classification of mineral bear- 

 ing ores, geological specimens and metals 

 has only been worked out in late years 

 but immense strides have been made in 

 the application of microscopic methods 

 to this field. So important has this 

 branch become that instruments are now 

 manufactured especiallv for use in metal- 

 lurgical work. The metallurgical micro- 



