236 



C. U. C. P. ALUMNI JOURNAL 



n. 



Olive' oil TO ounces 



Spermaceti 3 ounces 



Oil of bergamot -. 2 drachms 



Oil of clove 10 minims 



Oil of rose geranium 40 minims 



Mix, according to art. 



Italian Drug Names. — F. J. H., New 

 York. While we know of no book giv-. 

 ing English and Italian pharmaceutical 

 terms, we have found quite useful a book 

 entitled Rousseau's Poliglota Vade- 

 mecum Farmacio. 



This book, which is published by the 

 American Fsperantist Association, 

 Washington, D. C, gives pharmaceutical 

 synonyms in eight modern languages, in- 

 cluding Italian. Of course, there is in it 

 a special index for each language. 



Orzo. — D. H. P., Connecticut. The 

 sample you submit is unhulled barley, the 

 Italian name of which is "orzo." A de- 

 coction made by boiling two drachms 

 with one pint of water until twelve 

 ounces of liquid remain is used as a 

 nutrient, diuretic and demulcent. 



Names of Manufacturers. — We glad- 

 ly furnish our querists with information 

 concerning the manufacturers of goods 

 handled by the drug trade, but for 

 obvious reasons, such answers are not 

 published in this department. 



40 Grain Vinegar. — L. L. J., New 

 York. — This is a crude method used in 

 commerce to express the strength of 

 vinegar. It presumably means that i 

 ounce of such vinegar requires 40 grains 

 of potassium bicarbonate for complete 

 neutralization. If "ounce" is taken to 

 mean fluid ounce then a 40 grain vinegar 

 will contain about 5 per cent, of acetic 

 acid ; a 50 grain vinegar contains about 



6 per cent.; and a 100 grain contains 

 about 12 per cent, of acetic acid. 



Our examination of a large number of 

 samples of vinegar has shown that the 

 commercial values run even lower than 

 the figures just cited. 



For details concerning "Grains" in 

 vinegar testing, see Amy's Principles of 

 Pharmacy. 



Compound Pills of Galbanum. — C. 

 R. L., New York. — The following recipe 

 for these pills is given in The British 

 Pharmacopoeia of 1898: 



Asaf etida 50 grammes 



Galbanum 50 grammes 



Myrrh 50 grammes 



Syrup of glucose 25 grammes 



(or enough) 



Heat all together on a waterbath, stir- 

 ring until a uniform mass results. 

 Dose. — 4 to 8 grains. 



The syrup of glucose mentioned in the 

 recipe is made by mixing one part of 

 commercial (liquid) glucose with two 

 parts of syrup. 



The Composition of Proprietary 

 Preparations. — A number of queries to 

 the composition of proprietary remedies 

 have been answered by telephone during 

 the past month, by reporting analyses 

 published by chemists in various bureaus 

 devoted to such work. For various rea- 

 sons, at this time we will not print the 

 answers to such queries, but will refer 

 our readers to the two publications of 

 the American Medical Association, "The 

 Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary 

 Medicines" and "Nostrums and Quack- 

 ery" as well as to the Bulletins of the 

 food and drug departments of the States 

 of Connecticut, Ohio, Indiana and North 

 Dakota, all of which we have in the 

 library. 



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