Am.  Jour.  Pharni. 
June,  1887. 
Notes  on  a  few  Drugs. 
285 
No.  15.  Expressed  oil  of  black  mustard  seed,  23  years  old. 
No.  16.  The  same,  tested;  no  change. 
No.  17.  Oil  of  linseed,  tested  ;  remains  unaltered. 
No.  18.  Castor  oil,  tested  ;  has  acquired  a  slight  reddish  tinge. 
No.  19.  Cod  liver  oil,  tested  ;  shows  a  strong  reddish  tinge,  but  no 
turbidity. 
In  the  original  article  no  theory  is  advanced  concerning  the  chemical 
reaction  that  takes  place  in  the  application  of  the  "  Bechi  test,"  but  it 
seems  highly  probable  that  the  change  is  due  to  a  reduction  of  the  silver 
nitrate  to  the  state  of  oxide,  through  the  presence  of  the  peculiar  yel- 
low coloring  principle  present  in  cotton  seed  oil.  The  product, 
after  the  testing  is  finished,  measures  11'5  cc.  showing  that  the  residue 
is  simply  a  mixture  of  the  suspected  oil  (10  cc.)  and  oil  of  rape  (15  cc), 
while  the  alcohols  have  been  totally  dissipated,  by  the  heat  of  the 
water-bath.  The  utility  of  the  rape  seed  oil,  in  the  decomposition,  is 
not  explained  and  whether  the  amylic  alcohol,  through  any  chemical 
change,  exerts  any  influence  is  also  an  unsolved  problem. 
NOTES  ON  A  FEW  DRUGS. 
By  G.  M.  Beringek,  Ph.  G. 
Read  at  t5ie  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  May  17. 
Having  occasion  to  examine  some  oil  of  erigeron  recently,  the  spec, 
gravity  was  carefully  ascertained,  at  the  temperature  of  60°  F.,  with 
the  1000  grain  bottle  ;  it  proved  to  be  0'8454.  The  gravity  given  by 
the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia  is  0*850  ;  Professor.  Procter's  experiments 
in  1854,  place  it  at  0'845.  The  figures  correspond  very  closely  and 
within  a  limit  that  may  be  accounted  for  by  the  age  of  the  oil. 
Oil  of  Peppermint.  Three  samples  of  American  oil  recently  ex- 
amined, showed  varying  densities  ;  Hotchkiss?  oil  sp.  gr.  '9074,  rich 
in  menthol ;  one  of  A.  M.  Todd,  sp.  gr.  *9074,  not  quite  so  rich  in 
menthol ;  and  a  sample  of  another  Western  distiller  sp.  gr.,  '9112, 
contained  but  a  small  quantity  of  menthol,  being  undoubtedly  a 
skimmed  oil.  These  figures  correspond  closely  with  the  statement  of 
Mr.  Todd  in  his  article  on  the  subject  of  "  Oil  of  Peppermint,"  read 
at  the  last  meeting:  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  Mr. 
Todd  states  that  pure  oil  of  peppermint  is  never  below  0*908  sp.  gr., 
nor  when  fresh  and  soluble  above  0*917,  so  that  the  difference  form- 
erly allowable,  that  is  from  0*840  to  0*950,  is  made  ten  times  as  small. 
