184 
Eberle, E. G., believes that mercuric chloride tablets may be ad- 
vantageously made with sodium chloride in place of the ammonium 
chloride. When a tablet containing the latter is dissolved in ordi- 
nary water a precipitate is formed, owing to the presence of calcium 
carbonate. There is no precipitate when sodium chloride is used to 
effect the solution.— Apothecary, Boston, 1905, v. IT, p. 951. 
Fiora, Paola, reports some experiments made to determine the 
amount of boric acid necessary to overcome the incompatibility 
between mercuric chloride and cocaine hydrochloride. He suggests 
the use of 3 per cent of boric acid with one-half per cent each of 
mercuric chloride and cocaine. — Bull. Chim. Farm., Milan, 1905, 
v. 44, pp. 380-381. 
HYDRARGYRI CHLORIDUM MITE. 
Caspari, Charles E., examined 157 samples of calomel; 82 of these 
samples contained minute quantities of mercuric chloride, while the 
other 75 samples were absolutely pure.— Proc. Missouri Pharm. Ass., 
1905, p. 75. 
Havenhill, L. D., found 4 samples which contained traces of mer- 
curic chloride. — Proc. Kansas Pharm. Ass., 1905, p. 91. 
Vanderkleed, Charles E., examined 16 lots of calomel, only 8 of 
which were found to be absolutely free from mercuric chloride, but 
in no case was the amount of the latter sufficient to cause harm. He 
points out that since 50 per cent of the samples did comply with the 
U. S. P. requirements in this particular, this requirement is not too 
strict. — Proc. Penna. Pharm. Ass., 1905, p. 53. 
Wijne (Pharm. Ztg., 1905, v. 50, p. 369), found crystals in the 
powder of calomel and believes that unpleasant consequences might 
result from the use of such a preparation, particularly in the eye. 
He thinks the formation of these crystals was due to gradual accumu- 
lation on the bottom of storage vessels. — Proc. Am. Pharm. Ass., 
1905, v. 53, p. 739. 
Meyer, J. (from Z. anorg. Chem., 1905), calls attention to a modifi- 
cation of calomel obtained from a mixture of mercuric chloride and 
a solution of lithium sulphite as a secondary product. This new 
product he believes to be identical with the Japanese calomel de- 
scribed by Lunge and Divers. — J. Soc. Chem. Ind., Lond., 1905, v. 24, 
p. 1255. 
An editorial note discusses the incompatibility of mercurous chlo- 
ride with antipyrine, and points out that, in place of its being due to 
the formation of mercuric chloride, it is in reality due to a complex 
reaction in the course of which an organic mercurous salt is decom- 
posed into mercuric chloride. — Pharm. Prax., 1905, v. 4, p. 468. 
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