9° 
Editorial. 
Am.  Jour.  Phann, 
Feb.,  1877 
The  diluted  solution  does  not  bear  boiling,  but,  when  so  treated,  deposits  a  basic 
salt,  not  afterwards  soluble  in  water.  The  most  interesting  reaction  is  that  caustic 
potassa  or  soda,  added  to  the  solution,  diluted  with  water,  causes  a  white  precipitate, 
which  is  perfectly  soluble  in  the  alkali,  but  not  in  ammonia,  the  solution  being 
miscible  with  water  in  all  proportions,  but  yields  a  white  precipitate  with  alcohol, 
which  is  not  again  soluble  in  water  ;  by  boiling  a  somewhat  colored  precipitate  is 
obtained.  Glycerin  appears  to  play  a  part  somewhat  similar  to  that  taken  by  citric 
acid  in  the  liquor  of  the  "  British  Pharmacopoeia,1'  or  to  tartaric  acid,  and  probably 
other  organic  acids  which  will  afford  solutions  with  bismuth. 
Mr.  W.  Martindale  read  a  paper  on  crystallized  hyoscyamia,  in  which  it  is  stated 
that  the  apparently  amoiphous  hyoscyamia  of  the  London  market  is,  in  reality, 
minutely  crystalline  ;  he  also  gives  Thibaut's  process  for  obtaining  the  alkaloid 
crystallized  (see  "Proceedings  Amer.  Phar.  Ass.,"  1876,  p.  354),  and  mention* 
some  observations  affirming  the  prolonged  action  of  the  alkaloid  on  the  pupil. 
Mr.  A.  W.  Gerrard  reported  on  eight  samples  of  glycerin,  one  of  which  con- 
tained lead  and  butyric  acid,  and  of  the  remaining  seven  four  might  be  termed  good,, 
while  the  other  three  upon  being  burnt  gave  evidence  sufficient  to  warrant  him  in 
characterizing  them  as  very  impure  and  unfit  for  medicine  or  domestic  use. 
Mr.  Gerrard  also  reported  of  a  crystalline  deposit  from  tincture  of  galls,  which  he 
found  to  answer  to  the  description  given  in  "  Watt's  Dictionary"  of  the  characters 
of  ellagic  acid. 
Mr.  J.  C.  Thresh  read  a  note  on  Capsaicin,  the  active  principle  of  Cayenne 
pepper,  which  he  purified  by  dissolving  in  potassa  solution,  precipitating  by  carbonic 
acid,  and  dissolving  the  washed  and  dried  precipitate  in  hot  petroleum,  from  which 
it  crystallized  after  several  days.  The  crystals  were  dissolved  in  alcohol,  the  solu- 
tion diluted  with  water  and  spontaneously  evaporated  until  crystals  were  obtained , 
which,  analyzed  by  Dr.  Buri,  of  Strassburg,  gave  results  agreeing  with  the  empirical 
formula  C9Hu02. 
EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 
Conversion  of  Apothecaries'  into  Gram  Weights. — Most  of  our  readers  are 
aware  that  within  a  few  years  the  metric  system  of  weights  and  measures  has  been 
introduced  in  many  of  the  European  countries.  In  medicine  and  pharmacy  the 
change  had  to  be  effected  gradually,  principally  on  account  of  the  older  practi- 
tioners, who  had  become  so  habituated  to  the  use  of  the  old  apothecaries'  weights, 
that,  for  them,  it  was  difficult  to  change  suddenly  to  the  new  system.  The  burden 
of  the  labor  was,  therefore,  in  Germany,  thrown  upon  the  pharmacist,  and,  by  a 
decree  of  the  Minister  of  Ecclesiastic,  Educational  and  Medical  Affairs,  bearing 
date  of  August  29,  1867,  it  was  ordered  that  from  and  after  the  first  day  of  January 
following  every  prescription  sent  to  a  pharmacy  had  to  be  prepared  by  the  use  of 
the  metric  weights,  while  the  physician  was  allowed  to  prescribe  either  by  the  old 
or  new  system.  A  table,  a  copy  of  which  is  now  before  us,  was  authoritatively 
published  at  the  same  time,  according  to  which  the  pharmacist  was  required  to  con- 
