ADA^ust,^g^!m'}     Pennsylvania  Pharmaceutical  Association.  371 
Laboratory  Notes. 
Willard  Graham. 
Analytical  data  which  have  accumulated  since  the  last  similar 
contribution  was  presented  at  the  twenty-ninth  annual  meeting,  were 
presented  upon  the  following  subjects:  Acid  stearic,  acetphenetidin, 
balsam  Peru,  barium  sulphide,  coca  leaves,  gelatin,  iron  and  potas- 
sium tartrate,  lard  oil,  lupulin,  oil  of  anise  seed,  oil  of  cloves,  soluble 
ferric  phosphate,  soluble  ferric  pyrophosphate,  storax,  tapioca  flour. 
A  Modification  of  the  U.  S.  P.  Tests  for  Gurjun  Balsam  in 
Copaiba. 
C.  E.  Vanderkleed  and  H.  W.  Lynch. 
A  review  of  the  various  modifications  of  the  Gurjun  balsam  test 
constitutes  the  major  portion  of  the  paper,  the  authors  contributing 
a  contact  method,  using  the  reagents  as  in  the  official  test,  stating 
that  a  pronounced  reaction  is  given  with  as  little  as  5  per  cent,  of 
Gurjun  balsam  in  copaiba,  and  eliminating  the  necessity  for  a  control 
test.  The  test  was  applied  as  follows :  Three  or  four  drops  of  the 
balsam  are  dissolved  in  3  c.c.  of  glacial  acetic  acid.  One  drop  of 
freshly  prepared  10  per  cent,  solution  of  sodium  nitrite  is  added,  and 
the  mixture  very  carefully  poured  upon  the  surface  of  2  c.c.  of  con- 
centrated sulphuric  acid  in  a  test  tube.  If  Gurjun  balsam  be  present 
a  violet  color  will  appear  at  the  point  of  contact  and  spread  through- 
out the  upper  layer. 
Solution  of  Acid  Phosphates,  N.  F. 
C.  E.  Vanderkleed  and  Harry  Bernegau. 
Attention  is  called  to  the  fact  that  a  large  amount  of  hydrofluoric 
acid  is  sometimes  found  in  commercial  solutions  of  acid  phosphates 
on  the  market  ;  but  the  most  serious  objection,  according  to  the 
authors,  is,  that  when  made  according  to  the  directions  of  the  N. 
F.,  the  solution  contains  7  per  cent,  of  free  sulphuric  acid  and  very 
little  free  phosphoric  acid,  even  with  the  use  of  bone  ash  of  the 
highest  obtainable  quality. 
The  Dispensing  Physician  and  Practicing  Pharmacist. 
Thomas  H.  Potts. 
The  tendency  on  the  part  of  some  practitioners  in  both  the  medi- 
cal and  pharmaceutical  professions  to  encroach  on  each  other's 
