THE NEW YORK JOURNAL OF PHARMACY 



11 



A. Bellet, in Journ. Phar. Chim. 19 13, 

 21. describes the following method for 

 determination of lactic acid in blood, 

 urin, or other organic liquids. 



After removal of alchols and volatile 

 acids by means of prolonged heating, and 

 removal of albumins by means of phos- 

 pho-wolframic acid, the liquid is evap- 

 orated to dryness with addition of dehy- 

 drated sodium sulphate. The dry residue 

 is extracted by means of ether in an ap- 

 paratus closely resembling a Soxhlet ex- 

 traction apparatus. The ether will re- 

 move besides the lactic acid, succinic 

 acid, beta oxy-butyric acid, oxalic acid 

 and others, if present. 



After complete removal of the ether 

 by vaporization, the residue is dissolved 

 in water, and the solution so obtained 

 used for the determination of the lactic 

 acid. In a specially constructed glass ap- 

 paratus the lactic acid is oxidized into 

 acetone by means of potassium perman- 

 ganate. Succinic acid is not affected by 

 this procedure, while the other acids are 

 converted into carbon dioxide. The ace- 

 tone produced is collected in a solution 

 of ammoniacal silver nitrate, and the 

 quantity of reduced silver estimated by 

 the Charpentier-Volhard method. From 

 the quantity of reduced silver found, the 

 quantity of acetone, respective lactic 

 acid, can readily be calculated. 



O. Hildebrand, in Phar. Ztg. 1913, 982, 

 recommends the following non-poisonous 

 substitutes for Paris or Schweinfurth 

 Green : 



(a) A mixture of 10 grammes of 

 borax, 15 grammes of powdered sugar, 

 70 grammes of Hour and 5 grammes of 

 Victoria-green. The later substance is 

 non-poisonous, and in the (quantity given 



will produce a color similar to that of 

 paris green. 



fb) A mixture of borax, 10 grammes, 

 and 100 grammes of insect powder, col- 

 ored green by means of an alcoholic solu- 

 tion of Brilliant-gruen. the alcohol being 

 allowed to vaporize. 



Kobert was able to show that infu- 

 sion of Ipecac to which syrup had been 

 added, often, even after the short period 

 r;f 24 hours, showed a pronounced sedi- 

 ment, had an acid reaction, and contained 

 innumerable micro-organisms. He at- 

 tributes this to the fact that the syrup 

 employed was not sterile, and recom- 

 mends that all syrups be sterilized as is 

 required in Austria. He also suggests 

 that the syrup be added to the drug be- 

 fore the latter is infused, thus in a sense, 

 sterilizing the syrup. Kobert likewise 

 for many years has advocated the non- 

 use of the infusion of Ipecac, and the use 

 in its stead of tincture or fluidextract 

 of Ipecac. 



Dr. L. Eulir, in Zeitschr. f. Unters. d. 

 Xahr, u Genussm., 1913, reports on the 

 examination of a number of samples of 

 saffron. A number of these samples, all 

 obtained, however, from the same source, 

 were found to yield a peculiar irritating 

 odor, when heated for the purpose of 

 ascertaining their water content. Dis- 

 tilling these samples after addition of 

 water, showed that the distillate con- 

 tained formaldehyde. This was proven 

 beyond a doubt by application of a 

 number of the formaldehyde reactions. 



A number of other samples were 

 weighted by addition of glycerin, which 

 also gives the sample a peculiar moist 

 appearance and feeling. Other sub- 

 stances used to increase weight were 

 found in the following: Borates, sul- 



