Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  1 
October,  1904.  J 
Laboratory  Notes. 
47 5 
mate  analysis  and  separations  for  organic  compounds  and  mixtures 
of  all  kinds. 
It  is  not  a  mere  encyclopaedia,  however,  in  that  it  is  an  industri- 
ous compilation.  It  is,  throughout,  intelligently  and  discriminatingly 
written  by  one  who  either  personally  or  by  his  assistants  tried  and 
proved  every  method,  or  where  unable  to  do  so  the  fact  is  clearly 
stated. 
For  chemist  or  pharmacist  who  does  laboratory  work  outside  of 
the  narrow  bounds  of  mineral  analysis,  the  work  is  simply  invalu- 
able for  reference  and  guidance.  The  last  (third)  edition  was  left 
unfinished  at  his  death,  but  is  coming  out  under  the  editorship  of 
able  workers  like  Dr.  H.  Leffmann  and  others. 
Allen  was  a  delightful  personality  and  made  many  friends  in  this 
country,  which  he  had  visited  several  times.  The  writer  met  him 
first  in  1884,  when  he  visited  Philadelphia  at  the  time  of  the  meet- 
ing of  the  American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science. 
He  was  then  eager  to  discuss  new  methods  of  analysis  of  organic 
products,  and  to  visit  manufacturing  chemical  works  where  he  might 
learn  something  that  would  throw  light  on  the  problems  he  was 
looking  into  while  writing  his  book. 
The  writer  met  him  again  on  the  occasion  of  a  subsequent  visit, 
and  had  correspondence  with  him  and  always  found  him  the  same 
eager  inquirer.  But  he  was  not  selfish  in  this;  all  he  learned, 
whether  by  inquiry  or  by  his  own  laboratory  study,  was  freely  given 
to  the  public  in  his  u  Commercial  Organic  Analysis,"  which  he 
spared  no  labor  to  make  as  complete  as  possible. 
He  died  at  the  relatively  early  age  of  58,  having  achieved  an  hon- 
orable name  in  his  profession,  and  left  a  grateful  memory  to  all  his 
many  friends. 
LABORATORY  NOTES.1 
By  Frank  X.  Moerk. 
Volumetric  Estimation  of  Phenol. — In  the  process  as  usually  followed, 
in  which  an  excess  of  bromine  v.  s.  is  allowed  to  act  upon  the  phenol 
in  presence  of  hydrochloric  or  sulphuric  acid,  and  titrating  the  excess 
1  Read  at  the  twenty-seventh  annual  meeting  of  the  Pennsylvania  Pharma- 
ceutical Association,  June  21-23,  I9°4« 
