158 
BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL CONFERENCE. 
known through the medium of the ‘ Pharmaceutical Journal ’ (vide vol. ix. 
p. 240). 
Having applied to some of the members of the Conference residing in the 
principal towns to procure from their respective neighbourhoods samples of 
this drug, through their kind assistance I obtained fifty-eight samples; three 
other specimens were forwarded to me by l)r. Attfield, obtained, I believe, from 
one of our local secretaries. 
Small portions of each of these parcels were separately exposed to the action 
of a strong heat. Of this large number (sixty-one) four only exhibited evidence 
of an adulterant; one proved to be carbonate of lead only ; another, a mixture 
of carbonate of lead and white precipitate ; and the remaining two, mixtures of 
chalk and white precipitate. 
From Bath I received three samples, all of which are pure. From Bristol, 
—four specimens, marked respectively No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4. No. 1, 
pure. No. 2, a qualitative examination showed the presence of white precipi¬ 
tate and carbonate of lead; one gramme was placed in a tared porcelain cruci¬ 
ble and exposed to a strong heat, when cool, it was weighed, and found to con¬ 
tain -642 gramme of oxide of lead, which, upon conversion into carbonate, gives 
•747 gramme or 74-7 per cent, of adulteration. No. 3 proved to be a com¬ 
pound of white precipitate and chalk ; one gramme was exposed to heat sufficient 
to expel the ammoniated mercury ; the quantity of chalk obtained was "22 
gramme, or 22 per cent. No. 4, this sample consists entirely of carbonate of 
lead. From Birmingham,—one specimen, pure, From Bolton,—one sample, 
pure. From Bournemouth,—one sample, pure. From Cambridge,—one sample, 
pure. From Cardiff,—one sample, pure. From Christchurch,—one sample, 
pure. From Coventry,—one sample, pure. From Crediton,—one sample, 
pure ; the sender of this specimen does not think adulterated white precipitate 
could be found in the town. From Dover,—two samples, both pure. From 
Dublin,—two samples, one of these was purchased in a second-rate part of the 
town, both pure. From Dundee,—one sample, pure. From Edinburgh,— 
three samples, respectively from the Old Town, the New Town, and Canongate, 
all pure. From Leeds,—two samples, obtained in the poorer districts, both 
pure, although the price charged for half an ounce of one of them was twopence 
only ; this sample was not labelled ; three applications were made at other shops, 
but the messenger could not obtain any, because he could not state for what use 
it was required. From Leamington,—one sample, pure. From Leicester,— 
one sample, pure. From Liverpool,—two samples, both pure. From Lough¬ 
borough,— one sample, pure. From London,—one sample, from the north-west 
district, pure; one from South Belgravia, pure ; two from Clapham, both pure ; 
and one from Knightsbridge, pure. From Manchester,—one sample, pure. 
From Matlock,—one sample, pure. From Newcastle-on-Tyne,—two samples, 
both pure. From Northampton,—one sample, pure. From Norwich,—one 
sample, pure. From Nottingham,—three samples, all pure. From North 
Shields,—three samples, one of them said to have been obtained by the retailer 
from Newcastle,—upon examination it proved to be composed of ammoniated 
mercury and chalk. One gramme was heated in a tared crucible, and the am¬ 
moniated mercury driven off, when cold the chalk weighed *94 gramme, equi¬ 
valent to 34 per cent, of adulteration. The other samples are both pure. 
From Rochdale,—one sample, which was not adulterated, but contained a trace 
of peroxide of iron. From Rhyl,—one sample, pure. From Sittingbourne,— 
two samples, both pure. From Shrewsbury,—two samples, marked respectively 
A and B ; specimen A is unadulterated, but contains a trace of peroxide of iron ; 
B is pure. From Scarborough,—three samples, all pure. From Stourbridge, 
three samples, all pure. From Trowbridge,—one sample, pure. From Wey¬ 
mouth,—one sample, pure, described by the sender as the only suspicious sample 
