*miiZ'm£Tm'}   Revision  of  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia,  95 
oxide  through  a  No.  20  sieve  upon  melted  benzoinated  lard  ;  a 
number  40  sieve  would  be  better. 
The  required  alcoholic  strength  of  both  white  wine  and  red 
wine  is  changed  to  from  10  to  14  per  cent,  in  place  of  10  to  12 
per  cent,  and  the  method  of  determining  the  percentage  of  alcohol 
present  incorrectly  stated  in  1880  is  now  correctly  given.  Stronger 
white  wine  is  dismissed  and  where  it  was  formerly  directed  in  pre- 
paring the  official  wines,  white  wine,  with  the  addition  of  15  per 
oent.  by  volume  of  alcohol,  is  now  ordered.  In  addition  to  this  the 
number  of  the  official  wines  has  been  decreased  by  three  other  dis- 
missals, namely,  Aromatic  Wine,  Wine  of  Aloes  and  Wine  of 
Rhubarb. 
In  the  formula  for  Wine  of  Antimony  10 1 5  cc.  of  liquids  is  directed 
to  yield  1,000  cc.  of  product.  The  quantity  of  white  wine  directed 
is  800  cc.  instead  of  a  sufficient  quantity  to  make  1,000  cc. 
Wine  of  Ipecac  has  been  increased  in  strength  to  10  per  cent,  by 
volume  of  the  fluid  extract  instead  of  7  per  cent.  The  formula, 
however,  fails  to  direct  that  the  filter  should  be  washed  with  suf- 
ficient white  wine  to  make  the  product  measure  1,000  cc. 
Nineteen  pages  are  required  for  the  very  complete  list  of  reagents 
and  instructions  for  preparing  the  same. 
Twenty-seven  pages  are  devoted  to  volumetric  solutions  and 
methods  of  analysis.  We  regret  that  this  feature  of  the  book  has 
been  marred  by  a  statement  made  exactly  12  times  in  the  27  pages 
"  that  the  figures  given  may  be  rounded  off  when  a  delicate  balance 
and  exact  weights  are  not  at  hand."  This  is  the  more  remarkable, 
as  in  the  introductory  note  to  this  subject  it  is  insisted  that  all 
volumetric  solutions  should  be  made  and  used  at  temperatures  not 
deviating  materially  from  the  normal  temperature,  150  C,  and  that 
all  measuring  vessels  employed  should  agree  among  themselves  in 
accuracy  of  graduation,  thus  avoiding  the  introduction  of  errors. 
What  chemist  can,  with  any  satisfaction,  make  volumetric  estima- 
tions, using  an  inaccurate  balance  and  weights  ? 
In  a  volume  whose  chemical  requirements  are  so  exacting,  such 
slovenly  methods  should  not  be  condoned.  Especially  is  this  to  be 
condemned  in  the  preparation  of  such  volumetric  solutions  as  those 
of  oxalic  acid  and  iodine  used  to  standardize  other  solutions. 
Two  pages  are  devoted  to  each  of  the  following  subjects,  gaso- 
metric  estimations,  alkaloidal  assay  by  immiscible  solvents  and  deter- 
mination of  optical  rotation  of  organic  substances. 
