348         Changes  in  United  States  Pharmacopeia.  {Amm^^T'1^xaL 
in  aspirin  determination)  add  dilute  sulphuric  acid  (about  10  per 
cent.)  until  the  mass  is  moistened  throughout,2  repeatedly  extract 
with  ethyl  ether,  making  about  twelve  extractions,  filter  through  a  dry 
filter  paper  and  collect  filtrates  in  a  weighed  glass  dish.  Evaporate 
to  dryness,  weigh  the  residue,  which  is  salicylic  acid.3 
Ferric  chloride  added  to  an  aqueous  solution,  gives  a  bluish 
violet  coloration. 
A  small  portion  of  salicylic  acid  heated  with  several  drops  of 
methyl  alcohol  and  sulphuric  acid  (cone.)  will  give  the  characteristic 
wintergreen  odor. 
Sodium  salicylate  is  computed  from  the  salicylic  acid  by  multi- 
plying by  the  factor  1.1651,  which  gives  U.  S.  P.  sodium  salicylate 
of  99.5  per  cent,  purity,  or  by  the  factor  1.1593,  which  gives  C.  P. 
sodium  salicylate. 
REASONS  FOR  SOME  OF  THE  CHANGES  IN  THE 
FORMULAS  OF  GALENICALS  MADE  IN  THE 
NINTH  REVISION  OF  THE  UNITED 
STATES  PHARMACOPEIA.1 
By  George  M.  Beringer,  Ph.M. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  Philadelphia  Branch  of  the  American 
Pharmaceutical  Association  held  in  November,  1916,  the  writer  pre- 
sented a  paper  under  the  above  title.  As  the  program  for  that 
meeting  was  a  symposium  on  the  Pharmacopeia  and  there  was 
assigned  to  me  the  title  "  Extracts,  Fluidextracts  and  Tinctures,"  my 
communication  was  primarily  restricted  to  the  changes  made  in 
these  classes  of  official  galenicals.  The  favorable  comments  elicited 
by  the  publication  of  that  paper  appear  to  indicate  that  a  continua- 
tion of  the  subject  to  the  other  galenicals  of  the  pharmacopeia  would 
be  an  appropiate  topic  for  presentation  at  this  meeting. 
The  reasons  for  some  of  the  changes  made  in  the  revision  of  the 
pharmacopeia  are  so  easily  understood  as  to  be  classified  as  "  self- 
2  The  sulphuric  acid  must  be  in  excess,  in  order  to  completely  decom- 
pose the  sodium  salicylate. 
3  The  salicylic  acid  may  be  checked  by  titration,  using  ^  barium  hydrox- 
ide and  phenolphthalein  as  the  indicator.  One  mil  of  fry  barium  hydroxide 
=  .013805  G.  pure  salicylic  acid. 
1  Read  at  the  meeting  of  the  New  Jersey  Pharmaceutical  Association, 
Hotel  Breslin,  Lake  Hopatcong,  June  14,  1917- 
