109 
particular variety of aloin is superior, the others should not have 
been admitted; if not, no distinction should have been made. He 
also takes exception to the requirements that are made for aloin 
and believes that they are based on almost chemically pure material. 
The standard grades of aloin have a melting point of 130° to 142° C. 
and, on incineration, leave ash in amounts of from 0.11 to 0.40 per 
cent. — Bull. Pharm., Detroit, 1905, v. 19, p. 319. 
The report of the committee on adulteration of the Michigan State 
Pharmaceutical Association asserts that as yet no aloin has been 
found that will comply strictly with the requirements of the pharma- 
copoeia. — Proc. Michigan Pharm. Ass., 1905, p. 79. 
Jowett and Potter (Pharm. J. Lond., 1905, p. 856) present a pre- 
liminary report on some work they have undertaken to determine 
the constitution of barbaloin. They are inclined to think that the 
formula for barbaloin, C 16 H 17 0 9 , proposed by Tilden is more cor- 
rect than the formula, C 21 H 20 O 9 , more recently proposed by Leger. — - 
Pharm. Zentralhl., 1905, v. 46, p. 880; % see also Am. J. Pharm., Phila., 
1905, v. 77, p. 901. 
O’Connell, Charles J., points out that aloin produces a bright red 
color with many alkaloids, while with the salts of the same alkaloids 
little or no color is produced. This fact, he believes, confirms the 
suggestion that aloin has acid properties and tends to form salts or 
combinations with the several alkaloids. — Bull. Pharm., Detroit, 1905, 
v. 19, p. 294. 
ALUMEN. 
Pellet and Fribourg report a critical study of the several methods 
proposed for the determination of aluminum. They report on the 
methods by Carnot, Rivot, and Sainte-Claire-Deville. — Ann. cle Chiin. 
Anah t., 1905, v. 10, pp. 376-381. 
Wadmore, J. M. (Chem. Soc. Proc., 1905, v. 21, p. 150), reports 
on sodium alum. — Abstr. J. Soc. Chem. Ind., Loncl., 1905, v. 24, p. 672. 
AMMONII BROMIDTJM. 
Caspari, Charles E., examined 21 samples of ammonium bromide, 
only two of which complied with the pharmacopoeial requirements. 
Thirteen contained an excess of ammonium chloride, probably due to 
the fact that the pharmacopoeia permits less chloride in the ammo- 
nium bromide than in the corresponding salt of potassium or sodium. 
Four samples contained dirt and 6 metallic impurities. — Proc. Mis- 
souri Pharm. Ass., 1905, p. 75. 
Gane is credited with finding a sample marked U. S. P. which 
assayed only 95.3 per cent of ammonium bromide. — Proc. Am. Pharm. 
Ass., 1905, v. 53, p. 182. 
