522 
British  Pharmaceutical  Conference.     i Am-  Jour-  phAmv 
1  \   November,  1908. 
includes  determination  of  moisture,  ash,  solubility  in  0.720  ether, 
acid  value  and  saponification  equivalent.  A  good  jalap,  he  says, 
should  not  contain  more  than  6  per  cent,  of  moisture  and  the  limit 
of  ash  he  places  at  1  per  cent. 
The  Examination  and  Valuation  of  Scammony  Resin. 
By  W.  B.  Cowie  and  B.  M.  Brander. 
It  was  stated  that  the  criticisms  in  the  above  abstract  apply  also 
to  tests  for  this  resin  except  that  for  the  ether  solubility  limit. 
The  method  of  estimation  given  above  answers  also  for  valuation 
of  scammony  resin. 
Note  on  Commercial  Ethers. 
By  W.  B.  Cowie  and  T.  O.  Broadbent 
The  writers  of  this  paper  give  the  results  of  a  general  examination 
of  commercial  ethers  by  the  usual  methods.  Water-solubility  tests 
give  excellent  results  in  a  general  way,  but  the  boiling-point  deter- 
mination is  regarded  by  them  as  the  most  reliable  test,  this  showing 
the  presence  or  absence  of  methyl  ether,  alcohol,  water,  and  acids 
in  one  step. 
Commercial  Pilule  Hydrargyri. 
By  Gilbert  Simpson. 
The  author  gave  the  results  of  an  examination  of  twelve  samples 
from  wholesale  firms  and  two  from  retail  pharmacists.  The  whole- 
sale samples  varied  in  mercury  content  from  31  to  36  per  cent.,  the 
retail  samples  showing  32.5  and  33.77  respectively.  Traces  of  mer- 
curous  oxide  occurred  in  25  per  cent,  of  the  samples,  and  a  trace  of 
mercuric  oxide  in  8.3  per  cent,  of  samples. 
Determination  of  Mercury  in  Unguentum  Hydrargyri. 
By  P.  H.  Crewe. 
The  author  objects  to  the  method  of  extracting  the  fatty  base  by 
repeated  treatment  with  ether  or  other  solvent  because  of  difficulty 
in  getting  the  mercury  into  globular  form.  He  suggests  a  process 
in  which  the  ointment  is  warmed  with  an  alcoholic  solution  of  potas- 
sium hydrate  and  the  saponified  fat  removed  with  hot  water.  This 
method  is  simpler  and  the  mercury  is  obtained  in  a  more  satisfactory 
form. 
