AEoctobIr,Pi»^r  P'}  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  505 
Under  the  title  of  Alligation  in  pharmaceutical  calculations — its  usefulness 
and  limitations,  Prof.  T.  D.  Reed  treated  of  this  arithmetical  principle  to 
which  the  introduction  of  standardized  drugs  has  directed  some  attention. 
The  limitations  of  its  applications  under  certain  conditions  were  demonstrated 
by  problems. 
The  official  process  for  spirit  of  nitrous  ether  was  discussed  in  a  paper  by 
Chas.  M.  Ford,  in  whose  hands  it  was  neither  satisfactory  nor  economical. 
Some  modifications  and  suggestions  of  practical  value  were  offered  to  make 
the  process  more  feasible. 
Supplementary  to  a  paper  read  at  the  meeting  of  the  Association  in  1893, 
Prof.  Iy.  E.  Sayre  presented  Further  notes  on  taraxacum  root,  recording  the 
difference  between  the  drug  collected  from  upland  and  that,  gathered  in  low- 
land. The  analysis  of  fresh  root,  and  of  the  same  after  being  dried  at  500  C, 
showed  practically  no  change  in  the  amount  of  taraxacin,  resin' and  reducing 
sugar. 
Incineration  of  the  well-dried  crude  inulin,  which  is  precipitated  when  a 
concentrated  aqueous  extract  of  taraxacum  is  mixed  with  alcohol,  showed  91 
per  cent,  of  organic  matter  ;  while  boiling  with  dilute  hydrochloric  acid  and 
treatment  with  Fehling's  solution  indicated  79  02  per  cent,  of  inulin. 
J.  B.  Nagelvoort,  in  a  paper  detailing  the  preliminary  preparation  of  the 
material  to  be  examined  and  the  plan  of  applying  the  solvent,  recommended 
The  use  of  isobutylic  alcohol  for  the  detection  of  morphine  and  codeine  in 
pharmaceutical  preparations  and  patent  medicines,  as  preferable  to  amy  lie 
alcohol,  which  is  so  diagreeable  to  handle.  The  solution  of  the  material  to  be 
examined  is  made  alkaline  with  ammonium  hydrate,  and  agitated  with  succes- 
sive portions  of  isobutylic  alcohol,  which  is  separated  and  evaporated. 
The  same  author,  in  another  contribution,  The  testing  of  arsenic  of  the 
U.  S.  P.,  pointed  out  the  mistakes  that  might  occur  from  following  the  direc- 
tions given  by  the  Pharmacopoeia,  to  use  tin-foil  in  applying  Bettendorf's  reac- 
tion for  the  detection  of  arsenic  in  tartar  emetic.  The  black  precipitate  of 
metallic  antimony  produced  would  obscure  any  reaction  that  might  be  due  to 
arsenic. 
The  author  states  the  reaction  to  be  reliable  if  the  tinfoil  is  omitted. 
Quantitative  determination  of  some  substances  in  aqueous  solution  by  means  of 
the  refractometer  was  treated  of  at  length  by  W.  F.  Edwards.  The  method  of 
taking  the  readings  was  as  follows  :  The  glass-stoppered  flasks  containing  the 
solutions  were  placed  in  a  tray,  through  which  water  circulated  from  the 
hydrant  in  the  room.  The  prism  of  the  refractometer  was  also  placed  in  the 
tray.  After  the  water  from  the  hydrant  became  constant  in  temperature,  and 
the  temperature  of  the  prism  and  solutions  had  become  the  same  as  that  of  the 
water,  the  prism  was  taken  out,  hastily  wiped  dry  and  placed  on  the  instru- 
ment, with  some  of  the  solution  to  be  investigated.  The  reading  was  taken  as 
quickly  as  possible,  and  the  prism  again  placed  in  the  tray.  This  was  again 
taken  out  and,  as  before,  quickly  wiped  dry  and  another  solution  used. 
The  time  required  for  taking  a  reading  after  the  solution  was  taken  from  the 
tray  was  probably  not  more  than  ten  seconds.  The  duplicate  readings  did  not 
vary  much.    The  substances  determined  were  hydrochloric,  acetic,  sulphuric 
