Am^a°"i87h7arm- }    Detection  of  Castor  Oil  in  Copaiba.  1 3 1 
The  only  remedy  for  this  lies  in  a  higher,  broader  more  liberal  educa- 
tion. It  lies  in  breaking  off  from  the  humdrum  every-day  life  of  the 
shop,  where  the  dispensing  of  senna  and  salts,  chamomile  and  castor 
oil,  manna  and  magnesia,  and  the  endless  routine  of  little  things  are  apt 
to  narrow  one's  ideas  and  make  the  need  of  a  little  relaxation  through 
attendance  at  the  pharmaceutical  meetings,  through  the  meetings  of  the 
Association,  and  throughaa  large  and  liberal  reading  of  the  current  phar- 
maceutical literature  of  the  day  an  urgent  necessity.  Examinations  by 
reagents,  by  physical  characteristics,  by  the  microscope,  of  all  articles 
bought,  whether  from  reputable  parties  or  not,  are  imperative.  No 
pharmacist  should,  and  no  thorough  pharmacist  will,  ever  place  an 
article  in  his  stock  for  dispensing  without  examining  it ;  when  adultera- 
tions are  discovered  make  the  fact  known  through  the  journals.  Support 
the  journals  that  are  laboring  for  the  advancement  of  the  better  interests 
of  pharmacy,  help  them  along  liberally,  encourage  them  by  your  sub- 
scriptions, your  kind  words  and  notes  of  interest.  The  editor  of  a 
journal  needs  encouragement  just  as  much  as  an  orator  needs  attention 
and  interest  to  bring  out  his  finest  sentences,  or  an  actor  applause  to 
make  him  forget  himself  and  in  his  intense  realization  of  his  part,  sur- 
pass his  previous  efforts.  Remember,  that  in  these  days  of  strict  econ- 
omy the  most  lavish  and  reckless  extravagance  is  to  save  the  subscrip- 
tion price  of  a  good  pharmaceutical  journal. 
Philadelphia,  February  10,  18777. 
NOTE  on  the  DETECTION  of  CASTOR  OIL  in  COPAIBA. 
By  John  M.  Maisch. 
[Read  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  Feb.  20.) 
At  the  last  meeting  I  incidentally  remarked  ("  Am.  Jour.  Pharm.," 
1877,  p.  84)  that  the  test  for  the  detection  of  castor  oil  in  copaiba  by 
petroleum  benzin,  as  proposed  by  Prof.  Wayne,  was  fallacious.  The 
test  is  recommended  to  be  applied  [Ibid.,  1873,  P*  32^)  by  shaking  the 
suspected  balsam  with  three  times  its  volume  of  petroleum  benzin, 
when,  if  castor  oil  be  present,  a  milky  mixture  is  stated  to  be  formed, 
separating  quickly  into  two  layers,  the  lower  containing  all  the  castor 
oil.  Having  often  repeated  this  experiment  with  different  copaibas 
mixed  with  their  own  bulk  of  castor  oil,  an  absolutely  transparent 
solution  was  always  obtained  with  three  or  four  volumes  of  petroleum 
