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THE NEW YORK JOURNAL OF PHARMACY 



C. Mannich and G. Leemhuis, in 

 Apotheker Zeitung, No. 19. 1914, page 

 194, report on the examination of Co- 

 deine tablets as follows : 



The investigation was undertaken in 

 response to the request of the German 

 Apothecaries Society. The tablets were 

 claimed to contain 0.05 gm. of codeine 

 phosphate each, and had been obtained 

 by a physician through agency of a mail 

 order concern. Upon examination the 

 tablets were found to be uneven in size 

 and thickness, this variation was very 

 material. 



In weight these tablets varied between 

 0.16 and 0.25 gm. For purpose of ascer- 

 taining the codeine content the following 

 procedure was employed : Ten tablets, 

 weighing 2.07 gm., were treated with 10 

 gm. of diluted solution of sodium hy- 

 droxide, until they disintegrated. The 

 mixture was then shaken out with 100 

 ccm. of ether. Forty ccm. of the ether 

 containing the basic codeine were allowed 

 to vaporize at low temperature, and the 

 residue (codeine) dried at 100° C. and 

 weighed. 



The residue thus obtained was found 

 to weigh 0.1829 gm. for the 10 tablets, 

 which equals 0.01829 gm. for each tablet. 

 As a control, a determination of the 

 phosphoric acid, by the ammonium mo- 

 lybdate method was carried out. The 

 amount of phosphoric acid found cor- 

 responded closely to the amount of co- 

 deine found. Calculation shows that each 

 tablet contained 0.015 gm. of codeine 

 phosphate, instead of 0.05 gm. as claimed. 



It would therefore seem that the quan- 

 tity of codeine phosphate was misstated, 

 and that each tablet contained only about 

 one-third of the quantity claimed. 



The same authors had occasion to ex- 

 amine a colly rium known as ]\I. Paw- 

 lewskis's Eye-Water. This article is 

 placed on the market by M. Pawlewskis, 

 Posen, Kopernikusstr. 4 II. It is claimed 

 that this article will strengthen weak 

 eyes, cure cataract and glaucoma, heal 

 inflamed eyelids, granulated eyelids, 

 cure scurvy and bleeding of the gums. 

 Exhaustive directions for the use of the 

 e}e-wash accompany each package. 



The article was found to consist of a 

 clear, colorless liquid, without odor. It 

 is furnished in an ordinary glass con- 

 tainer and 55 gms. of liquid are found in 

 each container. The liquid possesses an_ 

 acid reaction and has a saline, metallic 

 taste. Its specific gravity is 1.017. 



A cjualitative examination shows pres 

 ence of the following : Zinc, Sodium, 

 Sulphuric Acid, Hydrochloric Acid and 

 minute quantities of Aluminum. A 

 quantitative estim.ation showed that 100 

 gms. of the eye-wash contained the fol- 

 lowing: 1.25 gm. of Zinc Sulphate and 

 1.32 gm. of Sodium Chloride. Alkaloids 

 and other organic substances were absent 



This highly prized specific therefore 

 contains 1.25 gm. of Zinc Sulphate and 

 1.32 gm. of Sodium Chloride, dissolved 

 in about 97 gms. of water. It is un- 

 necessary to say that a liquid of this 

 composition can hardly possess all the 

 virtues attributed to it. 



C. Mannich and S. Kroll, in 

 Apotheker Zeitung, No. 18, 1914, page 

 186, report on the examination of an 

 article known as Schumacher's Cell Re- 

 generator. This as well, as other exami- 

 nations were made at the request of the 

 business management of the German 

 Apothecaries Society. 



