Febbuaet 18, 1910] 



SCIENCE- 



271 



Action of Liquid Anhydrous Ammonia on Rubher 

 Gaskets: Chables H. Ehkenfield. 



A Simple Viscosimeter : Chas. S. Palmeb. 



Lubrication, Lubricants — Oils, Greases and Solids: 

 C. F. Mabeet. 



The Oxidation of Iron and Steel and how to Pre- 

 vent it: J. S. Staudt. 



The Effect of Non-Metallic Impurities on the 

 Properties of Steel: Henet Fat. 



Neio Methods of Asphalt Examination: Albebt 



SOMMEB. 



A New Precision Centrifuge: H. E. Howe. 



Guayule Grinding Experiments : Chas. P. Fox. 



Incompatibilities in Chemical Manufacture: J. T. 

 Bakeb. 



An Adiabatic Calorimeter for Use with the Cal- 

 orimeter Bomb: Fbancis G. Benedict and 

 Haeold L. Higqins. 



The Weathering of Coal: S. W. Paee. 



A New Gas Calorimeter: S. W. Pake. 



Manufacture. of Oxide of Zinc: Geo. C. Stone. 



Scientific Preparation and Application of Paint: 

 G. W. Thomson. 



The Determination of Oil in Flaxseed Products by 

 the Specific Gravity Method: Chas. A. Heett 

 and E. J. Newell. 



DIVISION OF PHABMACEUTICAL OHEMISTET 



A. B. Stevens, Chairman 



B. L. Murray, Secretary 

 Gamboge: F. O. Tatloe. 



Different adulterations of pipe and powdered 

 gamboge are referred to and analytical results for 

 starch tests, ash, alcohol solubility and acid 

 value on fifteen samples are given. Tlie value of 

 the different tests and their indications, directly 

 and by comparison, are discussed. The alcohol 

 solubility is stated to be an unusually good means 

 of detecting adulteration and the inclusion of a 

 starch test in the U. S. Pharmacopcsia specifica- 

 tions is recommended. 



The Melting Point of Aconitine: F. O. Tayloe. 



Attention is called to the double melting point 

 given by the U. S. Pharmacopoeia and to the 

 variation in this constant as recorded by differ- 

 ent authorities. Results of 35 determinations 

 confirm Drmstan's results of 188.5° and show that 

 the melting point may be seriously affected by the 

 manipulation employed. It appears that a state- 

 ment of the melting point without reference to 

 apparatus or method used is misleading and the 

 need of some definitely stated process in the U. 

 S. Pharmacopoeia is emphasized. 



Pharmacopceial Tests for Ammonium Benzoate: 

 Atheeton Seidell and Geoege A. Menge. 

 The only pharmacopceial tests for ammonium 

 benzoate which might be expected to indicate the 

 purity of the salt are the melting or decomposition 

 point, and the litmus paper test for free acid. 

 Both of these tests are shown to be unsatisfac- 

 tory. In the ease of the first, the decomposition 

 point curve is almost horizontal for samples vary- 

 ing between pure ammonium benzoate and con- 

 taining 50 per cent, of benzoic acid. The litmus 

 paper test will not show the presence of 8 per 

 cent, free benzoic acid. Tlie quantitative analysis 

 of the salt by distillation of its ammonia is recom- 

 mended in preference to the " formaldehyde 

 method" for the acid radical, although the latter 

 method is to be preferred for the majority of the 

 pharmacopceial ammonium compounds. 



The Purity Rubric and the V. S. Pharmacopceia 

 Tests with Notes on Quantitative Methods for 

 Certain Pharmacopceial Compounds: Athekton 

 Seidell and M. I. Wilbeet. 

 Tlie purity rubric of the U. S. Pharmacopceia is 

 not always accompanied by satisfactory quantita- 

 tive methods to determine the exact per cent, of 

 purity of a given compound. Tlie desirability of 

 having satisfactory and witlial simple methods of 

 assay is generally accepted and in this paper a 

 method for the quantitative determination of 

 mercury is outlined, also a method for the de- 

 termination of iodine as iodide. Several addi- 

 tional quantitative methods are referred to more 

 briefly to illustrate the possibility of adapting 

 more or less well-known quantitative methods of 

 assay to pharmacopceial compounds and thus en- 

 hance the practical value of the purity rubric. 

 The following papers were reported by title: 



Scope of Pharmaceutical Chemistry: A. B. Stev- 

 ens. (Chairman's address.) 



Strychnine Sulphates: A. B. Stevens. 



The Botanical Source of the Crude Drug Knoivn as 

 Wild Yam: H. H. Baetlett. 



On the Availability of " Idophenine " in the Sepa- 

 ration of Acetanilid and Acetphenetidin : W. O. 

 Emeet. 



Detection of Colocynth Seed in Powdered Colo- 

 cynth: V. K. Chesnut. 



Pancreatin: John P. Steeet. 



The Relation of the Chemist to Proprietary Medi- 

 cines: W. A. PUCKNEE. 

 Geo. D. Rosengarten, chairman of delegates of 



the American Chemical Society to the Pharma- 



