26        WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  THE  PHARMACOPOEIA. 
white  sediment,  which,  when  subjected  to  Trommer's  test,  with  alkaline 
oxide  of  copper,  proved  to  be  glucose.  The  clear  solutions,  on  testing, 
were  also  glucosic.  On  adding  a  few  drops  of  NO5  to  the  dilute  syrup,  it 
was  colored  straw  yellow,  and  smelled  of  iodine.  The  syrup,  diluted  with 
water,  afforded  a  yellow  precipitate  with  iodide  of  lead,  and  a  reddish 
yellow  becoming  red  with  bi-chloride  of  mercury. 
The  inference  is  that  the  iodine  exists  in  the  syrup  as  iodohydric  acid, 
and  not  as  simple  iodine,  as  supposed  by  the  author.  When  a  portion  of 
the  solution  was  heated  with  sulphate  of  morphia,  and  a  drop  or  two  of 
SO3,  no  evidence  of  the  presence  of  iodic  acid  was  obtained.  As  the 
author  does  not  inform  us  how  he  prepared  the  "iodides  of  sugar"  we 
cannot  consider  the  subject  from  the  point  of  view  desirable.  Yet  it  may 
be  well,  in  support  of  the  above  remarks,  to  quote  from  Mr.  Gordon's 
paper  on  this  subject,  (Proceedings  Amer.  Pharm.  Associa.,  Boston, 
1859,  page  290,)  "  A  solution  of  iodine  in  sugar  and  water,  in  which  iodine 
is  more  soluble  than  water,  has  a  dark  red  color ;  sun  light  changes  it  to 
white  [colorless?],  and  no  free  iodine  can  be  found  in  the  decolorized 
liquid,  and  all  the  reactions  show  that  the  iodine  has  been  changed  into 
hydriodic  acid." 
But,  whilst  admitting  this  view,  we  ask,  whence  came  the  hydrogen  of 
the  hydriodic  acid  ?  from  the  sugar,  or  by  decomposition  of  water  ?  If 
the  former,  what  compound  other  than  sugar  and  hydriodic  acid  exists  in 
the  syrup  ?  If  the  latter,  what  became  of  the  oxygen  ?  We  have  reason 
to  believe  that  iodic  acid  is  not  present.  Does  the  nascent  oxygen  react 
on  the  sugar  to  produce  saccharic  or  oxalic  acid  in  minute  quantity  ?  As 
regards  the  formation  of  glucose — that  has  been  before  observed  by 
Maisch,  and  especially  by  Mayer,  (see  Proceedings  Am.  Pharm.  Assoc., 
1859,  page  369,)  and  is  due  to  the  action  of  hydriodic  acid  just  as  SO3  will 
do  it.  The  brief  time  incident  to  passing  this  paper  through  the  press 
does  not  admit  of  a  solution  of  these  questions. — Editor  Am.  Jour. 
Pharm.] 
WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES  OF  THE  PHARMACOPOEIA. 
By  Edward  R.  Squibb,  M.  D. 
In  the  course  of  a  few  years'  practice  with  a  number  of  the 
formulae  of  the  Pharmacopoeia,  the  writer  has  been  convinced 
of  the  inconvenience  of  the  system  of  weights  and  measures 
adopted  for  the  formulae  as  used  in  their  necessary  relation  with 
the  ordinary  avoirdupois  weights.  And  from  some  observations 
and  enquiry  into  the  practice  of  others,  he  is  confirmed  in  the 
opinion  that  there  are  reasons  of  sufficient  importance  to  justify 
