Am.^jour.  Pharm.  |     Amevimn  Pharmaceutical  Association.  ^  527 
upon  the  diaphragm,  sufficient  water  i^oured  in  to  partially  immerse  the 
sticks,  and  the  top  covered  with  a  porous  disk  of  plaster  of  Paris.  Larger 
quantities  of  phosphorus  may  be  oxidized  by  using  a  tray,  one  three  inches 
in  depth  with  a  surface  of  9  by  5  inches  admitting  of  the  oxidation  of  8  ozs 
of  phosphorus,  which  is  placed  upon  a  grating  resting  upon  a  narrow  shelf 
at  the  height  of  about  1|  inch  from  the  bottom  ;  the  tray  is  covered  with  a 
porous  tile  and  the  acid  liquid  drained  ofT  and  at  the  end  of  the  process 
withdrawn  through  a  movable  bent  tube  inserted  near  the  bottom  of  the 
tray  and  adjusted  so  as  to  reach  to  the  height  of  the  grating.  The  apparatus 
should  be  made  of  well-glazed  pottery,  possibly  gutta  percha  may  answer  ; 
but  if  made  of  lead,  a  portion  of  that  metal  will  be  dissolved.  The  products 
of  this  moist  aerial  oxidation  are  ozone,  hydrogen  peroxide,  ammonium 
nitrate,  phosphorous  and  phosphoric  acids,  of  which,  with  proper  manage- 
ment, the  latter  is  produced  in  by  far  the  largest  quantity.  On  concen- 
trating the  liquid,  arsenic,  if  present,  will  separate  completely  in  the 
metallic  state  when  the  temperature  reaches  160°C.  (320°F.),  the  reduction 
being  effected  by  the  phosphorous  acid,  which  at  a  higher  temperature 
would  be  decomposed  into  phosphoric  acid  and  spontaneously  inflammable 
hydrogen  phosphide.  After  the  deposition  of  the  arsenic  the  liquid  is 
diluted,  filtered  and  oxidized  by  nitric  acid,  of  which,  for  360  grains  of 
phosphorus,  only  from  two  to  five  drachms  are  necessary,  against  five  troy- 
ounces  required  by  the  officinal  process.  By  thus  oxidizing  about  nine- 
tenths  of  the  liquid  any  excess  of  nitric  acid  may  be  removed  on  the  addi- 
tion of  the  reserved  portion,  and  the  quantity  may  be  still  lessened  by 
conducting  this,  operation  in  a  large  flask,  holding  from  8  to  10  times  the 
volume  of  the  acid  liquid,  when  but  a  very  small  quantity  of  nitrous  fumes 
will  escape  and  the  nitric  peroxide  will  be  utilized  in  the  oxidation. 
In  the  discussion  on  this  paper  it  was  stated  that  the  product  of  oxida- 
tion of  phosphorus  in  moist  air  was  formerly  known  as  phosphatic  acid, 
and  contained  phosphorous  and  phosphoric  acids  in  variable  proportions, 
the  former  being  almost  exclusively  present  in  the  beginning  and  as  long 
as  unoxidized  phosphorus  was  found  in  the  apparatus  in  some  quantity. 
Professor  Markoe  sjjoke  of  certain  precautions  in  the  process  for  oxidizing 
phosphorus,  without  heat,  by  nitric  acid  in  the  presence  of  iodine  and  bro- 
mine, and  Prof.  Lloyd  referred  to  modifications  of  the  officinal  process  with 
hot  nitric  acid. 
Mr.  C/.  B.  Allaire  read  an  interesting  paper  on  the  purity  of  powdered 
drugs,  giving  merely  the  results  of  investigations.  Of  416  samples  of  pow- 
dered drugs,  sold  in  bulk,  189  or  about  46  per  cent,  were  sufficiently  adul- 
terated that  detection  was  easy.  Golden  seal  was  found  mixed  with  starchy 
matter,  fringe  tree  bark  and  wahoo  bark  with  the  wood  of  the  root,  liquor- 
ice with  corn  starch  and  sugar,  ipecac  with  starch  and  with  American 
ipecac  (Euphorbia  Ipecacuanha?)  etc.  The  writer  stated,  very  properly, 
that  the  remedy  was  not  solely  in  legislation,  nor  in  education  combined 
with  indifference,  but  in  education  combined  with  vigilance,  and  it  should 
have  been  added,  with  personal  integrity.  It  was  stated  that  there  are  par- 
ties engaged  in  jn-eparing  adulterants  costing  from  2  to  4  cents  per  pound, 
