ON  AMERICAN  PHARMACY. 
211 
in  80  per  cent,  alcohol,  effervesced  with  acids,  and  proved  to  be 
bicarbonate  of  soda. 
Precipitated  carbonate  of  lime  was  lately  purchased  of  a  house 
in  this  city  of  great  respectability  and  integrity.  It  is  of  a  very 
fine  white  color,  and  its  particles  are  of  a  minute  division  ;  it  seems 
to  be  an  excellent  preparation,  and  no  doubt  might  be  used  for 
any  of  the  ordinary  prescriptions  without  finding  the  least  fault 
with  it.  But  it  is  soluble  in  a  large  quantity  of  distilled  water, 
and  does  not  effervesce  on  addition  of  acids.  On  analyzing,  it 
was  found  to  be  sulphate  of  lime.  Half  an  ounce  (troy)  of  it, 
■after  exposure  to  a  red  heat,  left  a  residue  weighing  3  dr.  11  grs., 
loss  49  grains,  or  20*833  per  cent.,  which  figure  accurately  cor- 
responds with  the  hydrated  sulphate  of  lime  of  the  formula  Ca  O, 
S03  +  2HO.  The  Dispensatory  of  the  United  States  says,  of  the 
precipitated  carbonate  of  lime :  "  It  is  said  to  be  occasionally 
adulterated  with  sulphate  of  lime."  Here  we  have  a  case  where 
the  same  was  entirely  substituted  for  it.  Whether  this  was  done 
accidentally  or  intentionally  I  am  unable  to  say ;  but  it  is  due  to 
the  drug  house  of  this  city  to  state  that  they  did  not  manufacture 
it,  and  doubtless  sold  it  depending  upon  the  respectability  of  the 
manufacturer. 
If  suggestions  as  made  above,  analyzing  the  purchased  chemi- 
cals and  crude  drugs  as  far  as  possible,  publishing  the  results,  if 
adulterations  were  found,  and  giving  the  best  mode  ascertained  of 
detecting  them  ;  if  these  suggestions  were  carried  out  faithfully,  I 
have  no  doubt,  in  a  short  space  of  time,  we  would  have  a  market 
of  drugs,  and  particularly  of  chemical  preparations,  much  purer 
and  less  adulterated  than  they  are  sometimes  met  with  at  the  pre- 
sent time. 
Pkilada.,  March,  1854. 
AMERICAN  PHARMACY. 
By  Edward  Parrish. 
(Continued  from  page  118.) 
Having  in  the  last  number  directed  attention  to  the  principal 
duties  and  responsibilities  of  druggists  and  apothecaries,  and  the 
community  of  interests  which  grows  out  of  them,  and  endeavored 
to  illustrate  the  advantage  of  a  unity  of  purpose  and  action,  among 
those  engaged  in  these  responsible  and  important  duties,  it  is 
