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unquestionably a finer odour and taste than are possessed by Russian 

 anise oil and caraway oil respectively. In order to satisfy all parties the 

 wisest course would have been to follow the example of other Pharma- 

 copoeias, by retaining as official products the principal constituents of 

 the oils as well as the oils themselves. But what has now been done 

 we certainly do not consider a satisfactory solution of the problem. 



In order to avoid repetition, a special Chapter has been set aside in 

 the Introduction to the new Pharmacopoeia describing the various methods 

 of examination referred to in the work, such as for instance the determ- 

 ination of the melting-point, the boiling-point, the saponification value, Sc 

 The time given for the process of saponification is only 15 minutes, 

 which is often insufficient for essential oils. We return to this matter in 

 our review of the separate oils. The indications relating to the boiling- 

 point are far from being sufficient to ensure correct results. Only the 

 approximate capacity of the flask is indicated, and it is laid down that 

 the mercury bulb must be placed 1 centimeter below the delivery 

 tube, and that the heating must be conducted in an air-bath with the 

 addition of fragments of porous plate in order to prevent bumping. This, 

 however, is by no means enough if it is intended that the values obtained 

 by different observers shall admit of comparison. The size of the flask 

 should have been mentioned, and the height stated at which the lateral 

 delivery tube is to be fixed. Furthermore, the rate at which the distillation 

 is to proceed ought to have been considered, the most suitable 

 arrangement being to allow from 40 up to at most 60 drops to 

 fall per minute. When the distillation proceeds too quickly, especially 

 when the lateral delivery tube is too narrow, the steam is throttled, the 

 pressure increased, and the temperature raised. This leads to inaccurate 

 results. The indications of the Pharmacopoeia with regard to the fixing 

 of the thermometer are also quite insufficient. It is of the utmost im- 

 portance that the entire mercury-thread should be surrounded by the steam 

 from the liquid. In order to attain this the thermometer should be so 

 placed that the degree indicating the boiling-point in question is slightly 

 above the delivery tube, but care should of course be taken that the 

 mercury-bulb does not project into the bulb of the flask, much less into 

 the liquid itself. This object is best attained by using shortened thermo- 

 meters. These details ought not to have been passed over in the new 

 Pharmacopoeia, for it is our invariable experience when claims are 

 made which are based upon the alleged incorrectness of the boiling-point 

 that the fault-finding is due to an error in the method of testing on 

 the part of the claimant. 



The spirit strengths remain the same as in the 4 th Edition of the 

 Pharmacopoeia. 



We will now go into the details of the requirements laid down in 

 the work: — 



