AmAp?n^'i897arm"}     Observations  on  Acacia  of  Commerce.  195 
It  is  hoped  that  the  Pharmacopoeial  Committee  will  find  it  desir- 
able to  introduce  the  boiling  point  of  this  oil,  at  least,  into  the  next 
revision  of  the  Pharmacopoeia,  if  they  do  not  see  their  way  clear  to 
admit  a  method  for  determining  the  per  cent,  of  menthol.  But  the 
writer  cannot  see  any  reason  why  a  simple  method  like  the  above 
should  not  be  made  serviceable,  seeing  that  good  acetic  anhydride 
can  be  so  reasonably  secured. 
305  Cherry  Street,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
SOME  OBSERVATIONS  ON  ACACIA  OF  COMMERCE. 
By  J.  Henry  Schrokder,  Ph.G. 
Of  all  the  drugs  sent  forth  into  the  commerce  of  the  world,  there 
is,  perhaps,  no  single  one  of  which  there  exist  so  many  varieties  as 
of  acacia.  A  difference  in  the  source  of  production  is  one  cause 
for  the  variableness  in  quality  of  the  commercial  article.  In  some  cases 
the  quality  of  the  gum  is  lowered  by  the  season  of  collection,  and 
a  secondary  grade  is  obtained  by  assorting  the  other  varieties. 
The  chemical  literature  relating  to  the  exact  nature  of  the 
gums  of  different  species  of  acacia  is  only  limited,  and  they  have, 
so  far,  been  subjected  to  little  thorough  study. 
As  their  habitats  vary  greatly,  they  are  usually  known  by  the 
names  of  the  localities  where  they  are  collected,  or  by  the  names  of 
the  ports  from  which  they  are  shipped. 
For  pharmaceutical  uses  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia  directs  that  the 
gum  of  Acacia  Senegal  be  employed. 
It  was  with  a  view  of  determining  the  presence  of  dextrin  in  the 
powdered  commercial  "  gum  arabic,"  that  an  examination  of  differ- 
ent samples  was  undertaken. 
It  has  been  alleged  that  the  high  price  of  a  good  quality  of  gum 
has  tempted  those  who  handle  the  product,  and  that  many  of  them 
have  resorted  to  adulteration  for  pecuniary  gain,  dextrin  being  the 
substance  usually  employed  for  the  purpose.  While  for  merely 
technical  purposes  an  addition  of  dextrin  might  not  be  a  disadvan- 
tage, such  adulterated  gum  is,  of  course,  unfit  for  pharmaceutical 
purposes,  especially  for  the  preparation  of  emulsions. 
Observations  were  made  during  the  work,  which  I  think  of  suffi- 
cient interest  to  the  pharmacist  to  report. 
Before  submitting  in  detail  the  results  of  the  examination,  I  desire 
