THE NEW YORK JOURNAL OF PHARMACY 



port that the best results are obtained if 

 sufficient methyl-orange be added at first., 

 so that the color of the mixture is de- 

 cidedly violet-red, and not greenish-red. 



EXAMINATION OF 

 lODO-TANNIN COMPOUNDS. 



L. Bourdet, in Bull. Science, Phar. 

 XX, reviews the various methods for de- 

 termining the iodine content of iodotan- 

 nin preparations. The method of Douris 

 as carried out in case of syrup of iodo- 

 tannic acid consists in subjecting the 

 syrup to the action of nitric acid and 

 silver nitrate on the water-bath, until all 

 organic matter is destroyed. The re- 

 sulting silver iodide is then weighed or 

 is estimated by the Charpentier-Volhard 

 method. The method of A. Goris and 

 A. Wirth consists in subjecting the syrup 

 to the action of diluted acetic acid and 

 zinc oxide, in order to convert the iodine 

 into zinc iodide. An aliquot portion of 

 the filtrate is treated with ammonia to 

 remove tannin, again filtered, and the 

 iodine determined volumetrically or as 

 silver iodide. A third method, that of 

 Barthe, seeks to destroy the organic mat- 

 ter by means of strong alkalies and heat, 

 determining the alkali-iodide formed and 

 collected from the ash by any of the 

 known methods. Barthe admits a pos- 

 sible loss of about 8% of iodine by use 

 of his method, and adds this amount to 

 the amount found. Bourdet states that 

 the loss by the Barthe method may be as 

 high as 20.4%, thus rendering the 

 method useless in his opinion. The 

 method of Douris was found to yield the 

 most exact results. 



of samples of this ointment, which were 

 supposed to have been prepared in ac- 

 cordance with the formula found in the 

 Codex. In two of the samples examined 

 he found the following : 



Camphor, 7.2% Starch, 15% 

 Camphor, 5.6% Starch, 17% 



DETERMINATION OF 



EUCALYPTOL. 



Dodge, in Chem. Ztg.. states that euca- 

 lyptol or cineol can readily be determined 

 in volatile oils by shaking these with a 

 cold solution of potassium permanganate 

 6:100. Eucalyptol will not be attacked 

 in this .manner, while other terpenes and 

 unsaturated combinations found in oils 

 of eucalyptus and cajeput, will be oxi- 

 dized into water-soluble compounds. 

 The unoxidized eucalyptol can readily be 

 removed from the watery solution and 

 its volume determined. 



CAMPHOR OINTMENT. 



W. Duliere, in Journ. Phar. d' Anvers., 

 reports on the examination of a number 



BOOK REVIEW. 



The tablet industry, its evolution and 

 present status, the composition of tab- 

 lets and methods of analysis. E. F. Keb- 

 ler. The Journal of the American Phar- 

 maceutical Association, 1914, page 820. 



This article is reviewed by Hermann 

 Schelens, Cassel, who writes as follows : 



In the year 1904 I published in the 

 columns of the Pharmazeutische Zentral- 

 halle a history of the tablet and pastille 

 industry. It is pleasing to me to note 

 that in my article I traced the manufac- 

 ture of such articles to a much earlier 

 period than is attempted in the article 

 under review. I must, however, much 

 to my sorrow, admit that in his article 

 Kebler was enabled, by means of illus- 

 trations, to make his meaning much 

 clearer. Illustrations, to my mind, say 



