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necessity of frequent chemical examinations of the importations of the 
drug. Much of the inferior drug met with is fictitious in character, 
consisting of impure gypsum cemented together with asafetida resin. 
Other samples were of inferior quality, plainly due to crude and im- 
perfect methods of collecting the drug. — J. Soc. Chem. Ind., Lond., 
1906, v. 25, p. 627. 
Caesar and Loretz assert that the ash content of commercial asa- 
fetida varies from 20 to 60 per cent. Only a small amount of this 
drug complies with the requirements of the pharmacopoeias. — 
Geschafts-Ber. v. Caesar and Loretz, in Halle a. S., 1906, p. 10. 
Vanderkleed, Charles E., asserts that samples of powdered asafetida 
testing as low as 19.5 per cent of alcohol-soluble resin have been 
offered. He also points out that in spite of the lowering of the stand- 
ard from 60 to 50 per cent of alcohol soluble resin for asafetida it 
is difficult to obtain any that will test much above 40 per cent. — Proc. 
Pennsylvania Pharm. Ass., 1906, p. 122. 
Graham, Willard, asserts that he has examined about 50 samples of 
asafetida, 47 of which assayed above the U. S. P. 1890 requirements 
of not less than 60 per cent of alcohol soluble matter, the other three 
assayed above the U. S. P. VIII requirements of not less than 50 
per cent alcohol soluble matter. — Proc. Pennsylvania Pharm. Ass., 
1906, p. 153. 
Patch, E. L ., reports finding powdered asafetida that contained 
from 20 to 38 per cent alcohol soluble matter; the whole drug was 
found to be from 56.5 to 70.7 per cent soluble. — Proc. Am. Pharm. 
Ass., 1906, v. 54, p. 334. 
Caspari, Chas. E., reports 3 samples examined : 1 U. S. P. ; 2 
yielded excess of ash. — Proc. Missouri Pharm. Ass., 1906, p. 102. 
Evans Sons Lescher and Webb assert that the lower qualities of 
this drug are heavily adulterated with mineral matter; that 2 samples 
of powder labeled “ Commercial " were found to yield 35.32 and 65 
per cent of ash, respectively, and that the extractive matter of 20 lots 
of tincture ranged from 9.96 to 12.43 per cent, with one notable excep- 
tion which reached 15.38 per cent. — Analytical Xotes, for 1906, 1907, 
p. 6. 
Eberle, E. G., asserts that asafetida should be purified by dissolving 
in alcohol. The tincture should then be made from this purified 
asafetida. — Proc. Am. Pharm. Ass., 1906, v. 54. p. 450. 
The inspectors of drug depots found tincture of asafetida with as 
little as from 2 to 5 per cent of dry residue. — J. de Pharm. d’Anvers, 
1906, v. 62, p. 91. 
Francis, John M., thinks that the tincture of asafetida should be 
made from asafetida resin because of the variability of the drug. — 
Bull. Pharm., Detroit, 1906, v. 20, 231. 
11667— Bull. 5S— 09 12 
