AmMay?i897arm'}     Liquor  Pot  as  see  and  Liquor  So  dee.  241 
ing  about  5  per  cent,  of  the  hydrate."  The  same  authority  de- 
scribes it  as  "a  clear,  colorless  liquid,  odorless;  having  a  very  acrid 
and  caustic  taste,  and  a  strongly  alkaline  reaction." 
"  To  neutralize  28  grammes  of  solution  of  potassa  should 
require  about  25  c.c.  of  normal  sulphuric  acid  (each  c.c.  of  the 
volumetric  solution  indicating  02  per  cent,  of  absolute  potassium 
hydrate),  phenolphthalein  being  used  as  indicator." 
The  Pharmacopoeia  also  says  :  "  Solution  of  potassa  should  be  kept 
in  bottles  made  of  green  glass,  and  provided  with  glass  stoppers, 
coated  with  paraffin  or  petrolatum."  Desiring  to  ascertain  the 
strength  and  purity  of  the  preparation,  as  dispensed  by  wholesale 
and  retail  drug  firms,  six  samples  were  procured  and  examined,  two 
being  purchased  from  the  former  and  four  from  the  latter ;  all  of 
the  houses  were  in  Philadelphia. 
Samples  2,  3  and  5  were  colorless,  while  1,  4  and  6  had  straw 
colors.  Sample  4  was  translucent ;  all  the  other  samples  were  clear. 
All  contained  insoluble  foreign  matter  except  sample  2. 
All  of  the  samples  were  odorless  and  decidedly  alkaline  to  litmus 
paper.  All  gave  a  violet  color  to  the  non-luminous  flame.  Two 
pharmacists  took  the  precaution  to  dispense  the  solution  in  colored 
glass  bottles,  and  labelled  poison. 
The  writer  also  examined  the  samples  for  potassium,  by  acidifying 
the  solution  with  acetic  acid  and  adding  sodium  cobaltic  nitrite. 
All  of  the  solutions  showed  this  base.  Number  3  showed  a  small 
amount  of  calcium,  when  some  of  it  was  acidulated  with  acetic  acid 
and  mixed  with  ammonium  oxalate;  the  other  samples  were  free 
from  it.    Carbonate  was  found  in  samples  1,  2,  3  and  5. 
By  titrating  with  decinormal  sulphuric  acid  volumetric  solution, 
the  samples  were  found  to  contain,  respectively,  3-18,  8-74,4-10, 
3-74,  -01 8  and  4-38  per  cent,  of  absolute  potassium  hydrate. 
Attention  is  directed  to  sample  No.  5,  which  showed  about 
•018  per  cent,  of  potassium  hydrate  as  calculated  from  the  acid  used. 
But  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  sample  showed  much  carbonate,  it  is 
likely  that  the  solution  owed  its  alkalinity  almost  entirely,  if  not 
altogether,  to  potassium  carbonate. 
Liquor  sodae,  or  solution  of  soda,  should  be,  in  order  to  comply 
with  the  requirements  of  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia  "  an 
aqueous  solution  of  sodium  hydrate  (NaOH  =  39*96),  containing 
about  5  per  cent,  of  the  hydrate."    The  Pharmacopoeia  also  desig- 
