ON THE ACETIC ACIDS OF THE THREE PHARMACOPEIAS. 297 
Mr. Squire said he could corroborate Professor Bentley’s statement as to the 
scarceness and dearness of matico, and he was glad that this subject had been 
brought before them that evening. He also observed that the matico now in 
the market did not altogether present the same characters as when the drug was 
cheaper and more plentiful, for he had recently had occasion to operate upon 
some matico, and he must confess that he was quite unable to explain the results 
which he then obtained. When an alcoholic extract was made, a change occurred 
which he had not previously noticed when operating with matico in a similar 
manner. It consisted in the presence of a hard resin, which formed in one part 
of the extract, and there could be no doubt that its production was due to some 
change having taken place in the matico. It was a change, however, which, sup¬ 
posing it to be true matico which was operated upon, he was at a loss to understand. 
As to the mode of action of matico as a styptic, he knew that there were many 
opinions. lie had been recently induced to examine some samples of matico, 
and was struck with the fact of the entire absence in them of tannic and gallic 
acids. At the suggestion of a well-known physician, he was led at the same time 
to examine Ruspini’s styptic, which was reported to contain a solution of gallic 
acid, but was surprised to find that there was not the slightest indication in it 
of the presence of that substance. 
During the reading of the paper, however, he was especially struck by the 
similarity of odour in Ituspini’s styptic and that of the oil obtained from the 
new matico exhibited by Professor Bentley, and rather than leave the matter in 
doubt, he was inclined to risk the opinion that the odour in both was due to the 
presence of the same oil. This, and other circumstances, also led him to believe 
with Professor Bentley, that the styptic action of matico was due essentially to 
the presence of this oil, and not to the structure of the leaf, which he thought 
quite insufficient to account for its remarkable effect in certain cases. 
ON THE ACETIC ACIDS OE THE THREE PHARMACOPOEIAS. 
BY HENRY DEANE, F.L.S. 
When, in 1855, the Pharmacopoeia Committee of the Pharmaceutical Society 
began its labours upon the Materia Medica of the three Pharmacopoeias of Eng¬ 
land, Scotland, and Ireland, one of the first subjects was of singular confusion 
and difficulty, namely, Acidum Aceticum, there being no less than eight different 
strengths recognized by the three colleges, as follows :— 
All the Acetic Acids contained in the three Pharmacopoeias are here arranged 
according to their different strengths :— 
E. Acidum Aceticum . Sp. gr. 1065 = 85 per cent. ") 
D. „ ,, Glaciale. Sp. gr. 1065 = 85 per cent. ) 
D. ,, ,, Forte. Sp. gr. 1066 = 51 per cent. 
L. Acidum Aceticum . Sp. gr. 1048 = 30-8 per cent. 
D. ,, ,, of Commerce... Sp. gr. 1044 = 28*0 per cent. 
E. ,, Pyroligneum. Sp. gr. 1034 = 21-0 per cent. 
L. ,, Aceticum Dilutum . Sp. gr. 1008 = 4-6 per cent.") 
L. Acetum Destillatum . Sp. gr. 10065 — 4-6 per cent. ) 
D. Acidum Aceticum Dilutum . Sp. gr. 1006 = 3'5 per cent. 
E. Acetum Destillatum . Sp. gr. 1005 = 3'0 per cent. 
Of these, the most important to pharmaceutists, and chemists and druggists 
in England, are the acetic acid of P. L., containing 30-8 per cent, of real acid, 
and the dilute acetic acid P. L., containing 4-6 per cent., compared with the 
acids with similar designations of the other two colleges ; for it is in conse¬ 
quence of the great difference between them that much confusion and incon¬ 
venience have arisen. 
