Ann.  Jour.  Ptaarru. ) 
December,  1897.  J 
Laboratory  Notes. 
due  to  variations  in  the  age  of  the  product  or  in  the  methods  of 
preparing  it  for  the  market. 
Mercurial  Ointment. — A  number  of  samples  of  mercurial  oint- 
ment, made  by  reputable  manufacturers,  were  examined.  The  per- 
centage of  metallic  mercury  was  found,  in  every  case,  to  approxi- 
mately  agree  with  the  amount  claimed  upon  the  label. 
Calcium  Phosphate  Precipitated. — Several  large  consignments  of 
this  substance  were  found  to  contain  a  great  quantity  of  carbonates. 
In  one  case  the  amount  of  calcium  carbonate  present  reached  40  per 
cent. 
The  use  of  such  a  product  in  the  manufacture  of  tincture  of  opium 
by  the  formula  in  the  1890  Pharmacopoeia  would  result  in  the  reten- 
tion of  the  morphine  and  the  consequent  worthlessness  of  the  prep- 
aration. An  unsuspecting  druggist,  using  it  in  this  manner,  might 
render  himself  liable  to  prosecution  for  dispensing  tincture  of  opium 
below  the  legal  standard,  or  the  dispensing  of  such  an  inert  prep- 
aration upon  a  prescription  might  contribute  to  the  death  of  a 
patient. 
The  occurrence  of  such  products,  which  eventually  find  their  way 
into  the  market,  emphasizes  the  necessity  for  that  personal  exam- 
ination of  goods  which  it  is  the  duty  of  each  druggist  to  make. 
Honest  manufacturers  have  nothing  to  fear  from  this,  while  those 
who  are  in  the  habit  of  furnishing  inferior  goods  would  either  be 
compelled  to  raise  their  standard  or  go  out  of  business. 
Beeswax. — The  record  of  the  samples  of  beeswax  examined  dur- 
ing the  present  year  was  very  unfavorable,  notwithstanding  the 
number  of  reputable  dealers  who  are  interested  in  the  purification 
and  sale  of  this  product. 
Sixteen  (16)  samples  were  examined.  Of  these  but  seven  (7) 
answered  all  of  the  requirements  of  a  pure  wax;  five  (5)  contained 
small  quantities  of  stearic  acid,  indicated  by  an  acid  number  of 
about  25  00  and  verified  by  Fehling's  test;  one  (1)  contained  a 
larger  amount  of  stearic  acid  (acid  number,  46  92),  and  three  (3) 
contained  paraffin  in  varying  quantities,  the  acid  numbers  ranging 
from  4-53  to  12  55. 
Those  samples  which  contained  paraffin  were  of  a  suspicious 
appearance  and  feel,  but  the  presence  of  such  small  quantities  of 
stearic  acid  as  indicated  by  an  acid  number  of  25,  does  not  materi- 
ally alter  the  appearance  of  the  wax,  while  it  totally  unfits  it  for 
