524 
British  Pharmaceutical  Conference.     4Am-  Jour-  ^atm. 
'  l    November,  ly08. 
The  Preparation  of  a  Soluble  Ferric  Arsenate. 
By  F.  B.  Power  and  H.  Rogerson. 
The  preparation  of  a  soluble  salt  was  described  and  the  characters 
of  this  scale  compound  (which  is  practically  a  citro-arsenate  of  iron 
and  sodium)  were  given,  likewise  a  simple  method  of  assay. 
Standards  of  Alkaloidal  Drugs  and  Their  Fluidextracts. 
By  J.  C.  Unmey  and  C.  T.  Bennett. 
The  authors  contribute  what  they  describe  as  "  somewhat  dis- 
jointed notes  "  with  the  object  of  bringing  forth  opinions  from  other 
workers  to  aid  in  revision  of  the  next  B.  P.  They  appreciate  the 
necessity  of  fixing  high  standards  for  drugs  consistent  with  the 
natural  variations  in  them,  from  season  to  season.  They  give  figures 
and  results  of  their  work  on  the  more  potent  drugs. 
Yalenta's  Test  for  Oils. 
By  E.  W.  Pollard. 
If  equal  weights  of  a  fixed  oil  and  glacial  acetic  acid  are  mixed 
at  about  80 0  C,  a  clear  mixture  results,  and  it  remains  clear  until 
a  lower  temperature  is  reached.  The  temperature  of  turbidity  varies 
with  different  oils,  as  53 0  for  cottonseed  oil  and  700  for  olive  oil. 
Mr.  Pollard  explained  the  test  and  advised  the  use  of  an  acid  entirely 
free  from  water. 
Tasteless  Liquid  Extract  of  Cascara  Sagrada. 
By  Ernest  Quant. 
Debitterizing  the  drug  by  means  of  magnesium  hydroxide,  macer- 
ating and  percolating  with  glycerin  and  water  is  the  process  given 
for  making  a  tasteless  fluidextract  of  cascara.  The  author  claims 
that  the  preparation  is  pleasant  to  take  and  active. 
Note  on  Commercial  Lead  Plaster  and  Litharge. 
By  E.  F.  Harrison  and  H.  E.  Watt. 
The  authors  give  the  results  of  the  examination  of  a  number  of 
samples,  besides  a  few  as  ordinarily  supplied  for  pharmaceutical  use. 
While  the  samples  of  litharge  did  not  conform  exactly  to  B.  P. 
