346 
MICROSCOPICAL  RESEARCHES  ON  THE  ALKALOIDS. 
a  standard  solution  of  hydrochloric  acid,  50  septems  of  which 
require  292  of  the  standard  ammonia  for  neutralization. 
In  order,  therefore,  to  estimate  the  excess  of  ammonia  added 
to  the  liquid,  I  first  add  50  septems  of  the  standard  acid,  and 
then  test  with  the  standard  ammonia,  using,  of  course,  a  solution 
of  litmus.  Supposing,  therefore,  that  255  measures  or  septems 
of  the  standard  ammonia  are  required  to  effect  a  complete  neu- 
tralization of  the  liquid,  then  say  — 292 — 255=37,  and  100  (the 
number  of  measures  previously  added)  — 37=63  measures  of 
standard  ammonia  required  to  precipitate  the  phosphate  of  lime, 
and  equal  to  6-3  per  cent,  of  real  ammonia. 
Therefore  as — 
2(NH3)(OaO)3P05  per  cent. 
34    :    155    :  :  6*3  :  to  x  =28*72  p.  c.  of  phosphate  of  lime. 
By  the  use  of  the  oxide  of  lead,  the  free  sulphuric  acid  of  the 
sample  is  not  only  neutralized  but  separated  as  insoluble  sul- 
phate, leaving  the  solution  but  slightly  acid,  and  only  from  the 
acid  phosphate.  By  repeated  trials  upon  samples  of  known 
composition,  I  have  never  found  this  process  to  fail.  It  is  both 
simple  and  accurate,  and  the  time  occupied  from  first  to  last  is 
barely  one-fourth  of  that  required  by  the  ordinary  gravimetrical 
method.  — Lond.  Chemical  News,  July  14,  1865. 
June  27. 
MICROSCOPICAL  RESEARCHES  ON  THE  ALKALOIDS,  AS 
EXISTING  IN  CINCHONA  BARK. 
By  J.  E.  Howard,  F.  L.  S.,  Etc. 
[We  regret  the  necessity  of  reprinting  this  paper  of  Mr.  How- 
ard's without  the  beautiful  illustrations  of  the  original  text ;  we 
have  therefore  omitted  the  interesting  descriptions,  which  occupy 
two  pages,  and  must  refer  our  readers  to  the  May  number  of  the 
Pharmaceutical  Journal. — Ed.  Am.  Journ.  Pharm.] 
In  the  valuable  and  very  interesting  paper  "On  microscopical 
research  in  relation  to  Pharmacy,"  by  Messrs.  Deane  and  Brady 
read  at  the  last  Pharmaceutical  Conference,  your  readers  will 
have  been  enabled  to  see  how  much  assistance  may  be  thus  ren- 
dered in  the  discrimination  of  vegetable  products,  especially  of 
the  varieties  of  opium.    Reference  is  made  in  the  same  paper  to 
