384 
examination showed that the available samples of 
Caleutta and Japanese ginger were not of a char- 
acter suitable for manufacturing the tincture. 
Tinctures were then made from all of the samples 
and it was found, as indicated by the analysis, that 
the Calcutta and Japanese gingers produced tinc- 
tures of inferior character. The standard ar- 
rived at was as follows: Specific gravity, 0.8200; 
aleohol, not less than 88 per cent.; non volatile 
matter, between 1.25 per cent. and 1.75 per cent. 
E. O. Eaton: Estimating Small Quantities of 
Morphin in Mixtures. 
At the 27th annual convention of the Associa- 
tion of Official Agricultural Chemists, a method 
for determining small quantities of morphin in 
mixtures was presented. 
The method in brief consists in extracting the 
morphin from the mixture by means of lime 
water which is subsequently treated with am- 
monium chloride, the morphin precipitated, re- 
moved with a chloroform-alecohol mixture and the 
morphin finally determined volumetrically. 
During the past year, two mixtures and a 
sample of opium were submitted to several work- 
ers and the results and their observations re- 
corded. In the case of the two mixtures, several 
workers’ results agreed fairly well, but the re- 
sults obtained with the opium were quite unsatis- 
factory. 
A. G. Murray: Estimating Small Amounts of 
Nitroglycerin. 
L. F. Keser: Standards and Methods. 
In this paper attention was called to the neces- 
sity of carefully studying present available meth- 
ods and standards. It has been found from time 
to time that the methods prescribed for arriving 
at a certain standard are defective and therefore 
unsuited for careful court work. Particular at- 
tention was called to the shortcomings of the pres- 
ent method for determining the alkaloidal content 
of henbane leaves. The method, as a rule, gives 
results below the actual content of alkaloidal 
matter. 
The subject of standards was referred to and 
several specific cases quoted: For example, the 
standard for cannabis indica is prescribed as a 
product free from stone cells, which means virtual 
absence of seeds. Experience shows that it is 
practically impossible to find such a product on 
the market. Its enforcement, therefore, would be 
a most difficult problem. The question of arriv- 
ing at a fair and just standard was also taken up 
and discussed fully. For example, the Pharmaco- 
SCIENCE 
[N.S. Vou. XXXV. No. 897 
peia prescribes a definite standard for hydrogen 
peroxid, but it is well known that this commodity 
is prone to decomposition and the question arose 
as to what amount of variation should be per- 
mitted before considering the article inferior. In 
order to determine this point, all of the available 
samples of hydrogen peroxid were purchased and 
examined by two different observers in several 
sections of the country. The observations were 
made during a period extending over one year, 
and it was found that there was no difficulty what- 
ever in preparing this commodity so as not to fall 
materially below 15 per cent. of the prescribed 
standard within six months. If, therefore, a sam- 
ple of hydrogen peroxid was found to be only one 
half the strength prescribed by the Pharmacopeia, 
it was either made by faulty methods or much 
more time than six months had elapsed since its 
preparation. Other examples were cited to show 
that it was absolutely necessary to use judgment 
and discretion even though the standard was pre- 
scribed. 
DIVISION OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY 
Geo. B. Frankforter, chairman. 
Wm. J. Hale, secretary. 
Wittiam A. Noyes and J. A. Coss: The Decom- 
position of Nitroso Compounds. 
Some years ago Mr. Taveau, with one of us, 
found that on warming the nitroso derivative of 
the anhydride of aminolauronie acid, 
JOO 
CoH roy 
with an alcoholic solution of sodium hydroxide, a 
compound was formed to which the formula 
oan. 
¢ su Nc,H,0.” 
was assigned. A study of the similar decompo- 
sition of the nitroso derivative of phthalimidine, 
has shown that the primary product is a diazo 
compound of the structure 
/CO.CHs 
C,H N. 
GEN CH Vi i 
AN 
This decomposes, giving the compound 
J CO.CHs 
eee 2 
