241 
under 46 Morphine.") — Drug Circ. & Cliem. Gaz., X. Y., 1906, v. 50, 
p. 130. 
A contributor to the u Medical Xews ” column states that the drug- 
gists of Brewton (Georgia) have voluntarily pledged themselves 
not to sell cocaine except on prescription. — J. Am. M. Ass., 1906, 
v. 47, p. 2098. 
Additional references on the use of cocaine and the comparative 
value of the synthetic products will be found in the Index Medicus 
and J. Am. M. Ass. 
COCAINiE HYDROCHLORIDUM. 
Herting, Otto, points out that the melting point of cocaine hydro- 
chloride is given as 189.9° in the U. S. P. VIII, 183° in the Ph. 
Germ. IV., and 180-186° C. in the Ph. Brit. IV., and expresses the 
belief that the correct melting point is probably 185° C. — D.-A. 
Apoth. Ztg., X. Y., 1906-7, v. 27, p. 1. 
The Ph. Brit. Committee of Eeference in Pharmacy says that the 
permanganate test for cocaine hydrochloride is unreliable and that 
the U. S. P. test should be used. — Cliem. & Drug., Loud., 1906, v. 69, 
p. 863. 
Evans Sons Lescher & IVebb report that out of 20 samples of co- 
caine hydrochloride examined by them only 1 was found to be thor- 
oughly unsatisfactory when subjected to McLagan’s test. This sam- 
ple showed no crystalline precipitate for seven minutes, the usual 
time being from a half to two minutes. — Analytical Xotes, for 1906, 
1907, p. 14. 
Breteau, Pierre, reports examining a sample of cocaine, upward 
of 15 years old, that had manifestly undergone decomposition as evi- 
denced by the presence of methyl benzoate, free benzoic acid, and 
ecgonin hydrochloride.— Bull. Soc. de Chim., Par., 1906, v. 35, pp. 
674—676. 
Cripps, R. A., reports some experiments and observations which 
lead him to assert that cocaine hydrochloride is more stable, and for 
this reason more reliable than the alkaloid itself, when prepared in 
the form of ointment. — Yearbook of Pharmacy, 1906, pp. 260, 261. 
An abstract (La Odontol, Madrid, 1905) concludes that cocaine 
solutions may be sterilized without decomposition at a temperature 
not exceeding 100° C. and that anaesthetic solutions should be kept in 
receptacles made of insoluble glass. — Dental Cosmos, Phila., 1906, v. 
48, p. 111. 
An abstract asserts that the addition of 0.01 gm. of salicylic acid 
to each 10 gm. of a solution of cocaine will obviate the need for 
sterilization. — Am. Vet. Rev., X. Y., 1906-7, v. 30, p. 973. 
An unsigned article states that the law of Massachusetts prohibits 
all traffic in cocaine, alpha or beta eucaine, except on the prescrip- 
11667— Bull. 58—09 16 
