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a consequence it is not all of the same quality. He further asserts 
that there is no excuse for the pharmacist purchasing an inferior 
grade if he will use the tests supplied in the U. S. P., VIII. — Bull. 
Pharm., Detroit, 1905, v. 19, p. 362. 
An abstract (Ztsclir. f. Unters. d. Nahr. u. Genussm., 1905, p. 245) 
points out that adulterated saccharin, particularly in the form of 
tablets, is not uncommon in Austria. Tablets have been found that 
were largely composed of plaster of Paris sprinkled over with 
saccharin; others contained less than 1.6 per cent of saccharin. — 
Abstr. Pharm. Ztg., Berlin, 1905, v. 50, p. 845. 
Koehler (Pharm. Ztg., Berlin, 1905, v. 50, p. 227) asserts that the 
gradual decrease of sweetening power of saccharin tablets is due 
to excess of the alkali bicarbonate present, also to the fact that much 
of the commercial so-called bicarbonate is really the very alkaline 
sesquicarbonate. — Abstr. Pharm. J., Bond., 1905, v. 21, p. 230. 
An editorial quotes the above statements and adds the comments 
of manufacturers who assert that saccharin tablets do not lose their 
sweetness under ordinary conditions, and that they continue to con- 
tain their original amount of saccharin even after a long period. — 
Am. Druggist, N. Y., 1905, v. 47, p. 4. 
v. Mahler, E. (from Chem. Ztg.), bases a test for saccharin on the 
property of metallic sodium or potassium combining with the sul- 
phur of compounds containing it to form sulphides on fusion. — 
Deut.-Amer. Apoth. Ztg., N. Y., 1905, v. 26, p. 17. 
Kastle, J. H., proposes a color test for saccharin which involves 
heating the substance with a mixture of 5 cc. of phenol and 3 cc. of 
concentrated sulphuric acid. When small quantities of saccharin 
are heated with small amounts of this mixture to 160°-170° C. for 
five minutes and the mass dissolved in a small amount of water and 
rendered alkaline with 2 N sodium hydroxide, the solution becomes 
dark purplish red or pink, depending on the amount of the saccharin 
present. He points out that any great excess of the reagent is to be 
avoided and that the best results are obtained with the smallest 
amount of the reagent that it is practicable to use. — Bull. No. 26, 
Hyg. Lab. U. S. P. & M.-H. S., 1906, pp. 31-33. 
Procter, C. (Chem. Soc. Trans., 1905, v. 87, pp. 242-249), dis- 
cusses the determination of saccharin (benzoyl sulphonic imide). 
Confirming Reid’s process, he finds that saccharin and para-saccharin 
liberate iodine quantitatively from a solution containing potassium 
iodide and iodate and proposes a method for determining the two 
compounds.— Abstr. in J. Soc. Chem. Ind., Bond., 1905, v. 24, p. 515. 
Beringer, George M., discusses the average dose and believes it 
to be in excess of that generally given. — Proc. Am. Pharm. Ass., 
1905, v. 53, p. 415. 
77439— Bull. 49—09 9 
