336 
Report  on  Adulterations. 
Am  Jour.  Pharm.. 
July,  1889. 
doubt,  deteriorated  by  frequent  exposure  to  the  oxidizing  action  of 
the  air. 
Mr.  O.  Y.  O wings  determined  the  Sodium  Carbonate  and  Bicar- 
bonate of  commerce  to  be  of  good  quality,  there  being  little  or  no 
difference  between  the  English  and  American  brands. 
Mr.  H.  J.  M.  Schroeter  (Am.  Jour.  Pharm.,  December,  1888)  has 
also  shown  that  the  commercial  bicarbonate  responds  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  Pharmacopoeia  for  a  pure  salt. 
Mr.  Joseph  Lowenberg  examined  five  samples  of  Morphine  Sulphate, 
All  were  found  to  be  pure,  but  an  English  sample  contained  only  6*94 
per  cent,  of  water  of  crystallization,  instead  of  11*87  per  cent,  as 
allowed  by  the  Pharmacopoeia.  A  sample  of  Morphine  Acetate  was  not 
easily  dissolved  in  water,  and  yielded  1*81  per  cent,  of  residue  on 
ignition. 
Mr.  S.  A.  Wagaman  assayed  five  samples  of  J-grain  Granules  of 
Morphine  Sulphate.  Finding  that  a  small  quantity  of  morphine  was 
lost  in  the  assay,  he  used  as  a  check  the  amount  of  sulphuric  acid  found- 
In  this  way  higher  results  were  obtained  than  by  the  morphine  assay, 
but  still  below  what  should  have  been  in  the  samples.  A  single 
granule  should  contain  J  or  ^  of  a  grain,  there  were  found  20,  22, 18, 
21,  and  17  one  hundredths  of  a  grain  respectively  in  the  five  samples. 
One  hundred  granules  should  contain  25  grains  of  morphine  sul- 
phate, but  one  sample  only  weighed  32  grains  with  the  coating,  two 
others  weighed  36  grains  each,  thus  showing  that  quality  was  sacri- 
ficed for  elegance.  These  assays,  which  were  repeated  as  well  as  com- 
pared with  one  made  on  a  weighed  quantity  of  the  salt  mixed  with 
gum  and  sugar,  indicate  that  pharmacists  should  exercise  great  cau- 
tion in  buying  these  granules. 
Mr.  Clarence  S.  Eldredge  investigated  the  quality  of  twenty-five 
samples  of  Lime  Water  purchased  of  retail  pharmacists  in  Philadelphia, 
and  its  vicinity.  The  results  indicate  gross  carelessness  in  the  mak- 
ing and  keeping  of  this  important  preparation.  Eight  of  the  samples 
contained  0*15  per  cent,  of  calcium  hydrate,  and  were,  therefore,  equal 
to  the  pharmacopoeia  requirements,  eight  more  were  nearly  up  to  the 
standard,  and  the  remaining  nine  rapidly  descended  on  the  scale  of 
strength  to  two  which  failed  to  show  any  alkaline  reaction  by  litmus 
paper. 
Four  samples  of  Balsam  of  Copaiba  were  examined,  one  responded 
to  all  known  tests  of  purity  ;  two  by  the  U.  S.  P.  test  showed  gurjin 
