582 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [January 25, 1873. 
adulterant could at once be detected by the use of 
the microscope. The botanical student will find it 
•worthy of special study, and, save for the difficulty 
•of preparation, even the ornamental microscopist, 
who only cares for pretty things, will find it an in¬ 
teresting object; so much indeed is this so, that it is 
irather surprising that sections are not currently sold 
by the professional mounter. 
MILK TESTING. 
BY THOMAS GABSIDE. 
I wish to point out a fact, in connection with the 
•estimation of cream in milk by means of the lacto¬ 
meter, which I have not hitherto seen noticed, 
namely, the great difference in the results which a 
slight variation in the temperature produces. In 
Dr. Hassall’s article on the estimation of the cream, 
given in his work £ Adulteration Detected,’ I do not 
observe that any account is taken of this; the only 
reference to temperature which I find being in the 
following terms:—Cream forms more quickly in 
warm than cold weather ; and in making compara¬ 
tive observations on a number of samples, it is pro¬ 
per that each should be set aside in lactometers at 
the same time, and for the same period” (p. 225). 
Provided that the lactometers were all maintained 
at the same temperature, this method would give 
accurate results for the samples operated upon; but, 
as the following experiments will show, no depen¬ 
dence could be placed upon them unless the latter 
■condition were complied with, nor could any set of 
observations be of use for comparison with another 
set unless the temperature were maintained at the 
•same point. 
In each of the following cases two graduated tubes 
were filled with milk from the same pail, as supplied 
in the usual way by the dealer, and a uniform tem¬ 
perature was maintained during the time mentioned. 
I may also state that in several other experiments 
of which I kept no record, no increase in the quan¬ 
tity of cream was perceived after three or four 
hours:— 
No. 
1 . 
2 . 
3. 
Hours. 
4 
4. 
2 . 
Temperature 
Fahr. 
| 43° . 
\ 55° . 
( 45° . 
\ 60° . 
( 45° . 
\ 60° . 
Apparent percentage 
of cream. 
. . 14. 
• • 81 
. . 12 . 
. . 8 . 
. . 14. 
. . 12 . 
EMULSIONS.* 
BY P. W. BEDFOBD. 
Although much has been written on the subject 
of emulsions, and various methods recommended 
for the more perfect emulsifying of oils and balsams, 
the old method of making a solution of gum arabic 
(sometimes using with it a portion of sugar) of 
about the same consistence as the article to be 
•emulsified, and gradually adding the remaining 
portion of water, is that usually adopted. The ob¬ 
jection to this method is that frequently the oil or 
balsam separates almost in its original bulk and 
•floes not readily become admixed. To my assistant, 
Mr. A. W. Peck, I am indebted for the suggestions, 
and for a series of experiments in which glycerine 
was used in connection with gum arabic, and the 
* From the ‘New York Druggists’ Circular.’ 
result is very gratifying. The general rule adopted 
has been to employ for each ounce of the oil or 
balsam one-half ounce of gum arabic, in powder, 
and one-half ounce of glycerine. The glycerine is 
mixed with an equal bulk of water, the gum arabic 
is incorporated with this in the mortar, then the 
oil or balsam is added, with constant trituration, 
and finally the remainder of the water gradually 
added. The oil or balsam should not be over one- 
fourtli of the whole mixture. 
Emulsions made in this way, while presenting 
no novelty in method of admixture, certainly keep 
more miscible, with but scanty separation of the 
oil or balsam, which separation does not apparently 
increase by standing, and, as compared with emul¬ 
sions made by the ordinary method (without gly¬ 
cerine), are much superior. A series of parallel 
experiments with cod-liver oil, castor oil, balsam 
copaiva and turpentine show the superiority of 
glycerine in making the emulsion. Even balsam 
of tolu can be readily incorporated and emulsified 
to the extent of one part in eight. 
The antiseptic properties of glycerine are notice¬ 
able, from the fact that the emulsions are more 
stable, and, so far as the experiments have hitherto 
extended, the emulsions show no disposition to 
become sour by keeping. 
OLEATE OE MERCURY AND MORPHIA. 
BY CHARLES RICE.* 
This combination, suggested by Professor John. 
Marshall, F.R.S., and first prepared by Mr. Frank 
Clowes, has been in considerable demand in New 
York,f but its preparation offers some difficulties, 
which do not seem to have occurred to Mr. Clowes, 
owing to a difference either in the character or 
quality of the solvent, or in the manipulation. 
In using pure oleic acid as a solvent for oxide of 
mercury no difficulty is encountered, the oxide—both 
the red and the yellow varieties—being completely 
soluble in it, without any, or with only a very 
slight reduction to the metallic state. J This is not 
the case, however, with the commercial oleic acid, at 
least that which I have been able to procure in New 
York. It is, like the English, a residuary product in 
the manufacture of stearin candles, commercially 
termed “Red Oil,” has a deep sherry-wine colour 
and a peculiar greasy odour ; exposure to moderate 
cold causes the separation of a considerable amount 
of solid acid, consisting chiefly of palmitic acid. 
Its sp. gr. is 0 - 895 at 62° F. This substance cer- 
* From the ‘American Journal of Pharmacy.’ 
f Nearly ten years ago, Professor Attfield, in a paper pub¬ 
lished in the Pharmaceutical Journal, 2nd Ser. vol. IV. 
page 389, on a method of dissolving alkaloids in oils, directed 
attention to the fact that oleic acid readily combines, not only 
with morphia, quinia and ten or twelve other alkaloids, but 
also with the oxides of lead, mercury, zinc and iron.. The 
following sentence from his paper may prove suggestive to 
some of our readers :—“ Doubtless all bases form oleates, thus 
affording means whereby such preparations may be adminis¬ 
tered internffly or externally in a true state of solution in 
oils, ointments or liniments.” The Professor states that one 
firm recently told him they annually sent out between one 
and two thousand bottles of cod-liver oil and quinine prepared 
by this process. A few years since he found a combination 
of this kind alluded to in an old volume of the ‘ Journal de 
Pharmacie.’—En. Puarm. Journ. 
J The only objection to the employment of the pure acid is 
its high price. 
