44 -ADULTERATED DRUGS AND CHEMICALS. 



According to G. Guasti a phenacetin gives the phenyl-carbylanun 

 reaction. F. S. Hyde b says: u Contrary to some writers, phenacetin 

 will give the isonitrile test, and hence can not be distinguished from 

 acetanilid by this reaction." F. X. Moerk c obtained this reaction in the 

 usual way with both acetanilid and phenacetin, but sa} T s that 1 per 

 cent of the former is readily detected in the latter when a solution of 

 potassium permanganate is added to destroy odors that are formed 

 by other bodies and which interfere with the test. P. W. Squire d 

 reports satisfactory results with this modification. 



The isonitril reaction is recognized as an identifying test for aceta- 

 nilid by the present British, German, and United States pharmaco- 

 poeias. Neither of the two former pharmacopeias mentions this test 

 in connection with phenacetin, and the latter does not recognize this 

 chemical. Such careful workers as Helbing, Fischer, and Fluckiger 

 state that phenacetin gives the isonitril reaction. 



From this array of contradictory statements it is not surprising that 

 a worker not thoroughly familiar with the literature of this subject 

 should make the error of basing his conclusions on this reaction. 

 These discrepancies are undoubtedly due to the fact that phenacetin is 

 less readily decomposed with a fixed alkali solution than is acetanilid. 

 The conditions under which the test has been applied by the various 

 workers have not been uniform, and indeed it would be difficult to 

 prescribe proper limitations, as has been discovered in the drug labo- 

 ratory. The test has proved itself to be unreliable for the purpose of 

 detecting acetanilid in phenacetin. 



COMMERCIAL SAMPLES. 



VARIOUS LABELS. 



Original 1-ounce packages of the authorized phenacetin were pur- 

 chased in Washington, D. C., while the unauthorized product and 

 p-acetphenetidin were secured in Philadelphia, Pa. This is not 

 intended to imply that the druggists of Philadelphia were trafficking 

 in the forbidden phenacetin while those in Washington were not. 



All samples of the regular article were marked as follows: 



Trade-marked name: Phenacetin. Registered trade-mark, 1 Ounce Phenacetin- 

 Bayer. Patented March 26, 1889, U. S. Patent Nr. 400086. Manufactured by Far- 

 benfabriken, vorm. Frieda. Bayer and Co., Elberfeld, Germany, for United States 

 patentee. This package is sold to the owner of U. S. Patent Nr. 400086 March 26, 

 1889, the Farbenfabriken of Elberfeld Co., 40 Stone Str., New York City. 



Selmi, 1894, 4: 96, through J. Soc. Chem. Ind., 14: 77. 



& J. Arner. Chem. Soc., 1895, 17: 933. 



'Am. J. Pharm., 1896, 68: 89. 



d Squire's Companion Brit. Pharm., 1899, 17th ed., p. 6. 



