Du Mez—The Galenical Oleoresins. 
1101 
Acid number: The acid numbers given in the first of the 
tables which follow are those obtained for preparations which 
had stood in the laboratory for six years previous to being 
examined. As the acidity of the oleoresin very likely in¬ 
creases on ageing, when kept under ordinary conditions, due to 
the oxidation of some of its constituents, it is thought that a 
somewhat lower value is to be expected for this constant in the 
case of the freshly made preparation. The relatively low 
value found for the oleoresin prepared with alcohol was due to 
the presence of unevaporated solvent, which not only acts as a 
diluent, but also combines to some extent with the acids present 
forming esters, the latter imparting a fruity odor to the 
preparation. Viewed in the light of the foregoing statements, 
the acid numbers obtained for the commercial samples indicate 
that two of them were very probably old preparations and that 
the third (the sample obtained from Lilly & Co.) contained 
unevaporated solvent (alcohol). The results obtained in the 
determination of this constant in the laboratory follow. 
Table 101 —Acid numbers of oleoresins prepared in the laboratory. 
Sample 
No. 
Date 
Observer 
Solvent 
Acid 
number 
1. 
1916 
DuMez. 
Alcohol. 
62.9 1 
2 . 
Acetone.. 
84.1 
3. 
*• 
“ 
Ether. 
80.1 
4. 
•* 
Benzin. 
79.7 
1 Contained unevaporated solvent. 
Table 102 —Acid numbers of commercial oleoresins. 
Sample 
No. 
Date 
Observer 
Source 
Acid 
number 
1. 
1916 
DuMez. 
Lilly & Co. 
61.7 
85.5 
78.4 1 
2. 
Shame & Dohme. 
3. 
“ 
Squibb & Sons. 
1 Contained ether. 
Saponification value: Saponification values ranging from 
223.4 to 239.6 were obtained for the oleoresins prepared in the 
laboratory, the variation being due, very likely, to the nature of 
the solvent employed in extracting the drug. The values found 
