368 
and should average about 50 per cent. The powdered myrrh gener- 
ally procurable, however, yields but 30 to 38 per cent, due to loss from 
drying or from the addition of absorbent material to make a stable 
powder. — Bull. Pharm., Detroit, 1906, v. 20, p. 99. 
Naylor, W. A. H., says the point to which greater attention should 
be directed is the percentage of volatile oil. An examination should 
be made of a large number of samples carefully verified by an expert, 
including the following data : Ash, solubility in 90 per cent alcohol, 
saponification number and volatile oil, with the view of ascertaining 
the feasibility of arriving at percentages indicative of samples of 
good quality commercially obtainable, and that would exclude within 
reasonable limits the more commonly occurring adulterants. — Pharm. 
J., Lond., 1906, v. 23, p. 77. 
Lewinsohn, Kurt, discusses the history of the, distilled oil of myrrh 
and records an investigation on the chemical properties and the com- 
position of this oil. — Arch. d. Pharm., Berl., 1906, v. 244, pp. 412-435. 
Alcock, F. H., reports examining a sample of myrrh and suggests 
that the pharmacopoeia include a lower limit for the alcohol soluble 
matter which should be present in the drug. — Pharm. J., Bond., 1906, 
v. 20, p. 407. 
Weigel, G., points out that the Ph. Ndl. requires that myrrh con- 
tain from 40 to 70 per cent of alcohol soluble material and not more I 
than 5 per cent of ash. — Pharm. Zentralh., 1906, v. 47, p. 419. 
Frerichs, G., points out that myrrh should contain not more than 
6 per cent of ash. — Apoth. Ztg., Berl., 1906, v. 21, p. 938. 
The Ph. Brit. Committee of Reference in Pharmacy report on 
myrrh says the ash limit should be 5 per cent. Limit substances in- 
soluble in alcohol and revise color test. — Client. & Drug., Lond., 1906, i 
v. 69, p. 864. 
Patch, E. L., reports myrrh containing much foreign matter and 
cheap acacia. — Proc. Am. Pharm. Ass., 1906, v. 54, p. 340. 
Dieterich, Karl, reports examining two samples of powdered myrrh 
which complied with the requirements of the Ph. Germ. IV with the 
exception of ash content, 12.28 and 11.46 per cent, respectively. — 
Helfenberger Annalen, 1905, 1906, v. 18, p. 52. 
Beysen, Kurt, suggests that the Ph. Germ, require that in the mak- 
ing of tincture of myrrh the drug be comminuted with the aid of 
sand or talcum and asserts that a good fresh specimen of myrrh can 
not be powdered without the addition of some absorbent. — Ber. d. 
pharm. Gesellsch., Berl., 1906, v. 16, p. 332. 
Stiles, M. H., asserts that tincture of myrrh may be efficiently and 
very conveniently made by percolation, in place of maceration, as 
directed by the pharmacopoeia. He outlines a method for percolating 
which consists essentially of adding the alcohol and the dry powder 
in small portions alternately until all of the myrrh has been added, 
