326 
Gold-Sodium  Chloride, 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharin. 
\       July,  1900. 
(wholesale  price  list)  at  $5.90,  $6.10,  $7.50,  $9.60  and  $14.50,  re- 
spectively. Again,  some  makes,  without  any  specifications  as  to 
quality,  are  generally  quoted  a  few  cents  below  those  containing 
information  as  to  quality. 
It  must  be  remembered  that  the  1890  Pharmacopoeia  requires 
this  article  to  contain  30  per  cent,  of  metallic  gold,  and  a  com- 
mercial article  may  contain  less  for  photographic  purposes,  but 
the  latter  should  be  so  labelled  as  not  to  be  brought  into  direct 
competition  with  the  more  costly  article.  If  a  certain  article  is 
prepared  for  photographic  purposes  or  for  some  other  purpose, 
let  it  be  so  labelled  as  not  to  be  misleading. 
In  order  to  get  positive  information  about  this  article,  the  writer 
secured  a  number  of  samples,  and  a  careful  examination  of  the 
same  gave  the  following  results  : 
ANALYTICAL  DATA  OF  GOLD-SODIUM  CHLORIDE. 
Number. 
3 
•0 
5 
.  u 
Reaction  to  Ammo- 
nia on  Glass  Rod. 
Reaction  to  Litmus. 
Weight  in  Grains  in 
15-Grain  Vial. 
Solution  Containing 
15  Grains  in  100  c.c. 
Distilled  Water. 
Marks  on  Labels. 
Actual  Per  Cent  of 
Metallic  Gold 
Gravimetric. 
Per   Cent    of  Gold 
Based  011  15  Grains 
Gravimetric. 
1 
•••{ 
Quite 
moist 
|  None 
Acid 
>3"55  { 
Slightly  ) 
opalescent  j 
15  grains 
23-55 
21-29 
2 
Dry 
14-42 
Clear 
27*22 
26-13 
3 
14-86  { 
Slightly  ) 
opalescent  j 
25*00 
24-68 
4 
1 7  "53 
Clear  j 
U.S.P. 
}  28-31 
32-91 
5 
•■{ 
Slightly 
moist 
}  ' 
H"45 
Clear  j 
15  grains 
U.S.P. 
}  30-50 
29-02 
The  amount  of  material  contained  in  each  vial  was  estimated 
by  removing  the  stopple,  determining  the  gross  weight,  then  care- 
fully removing  the  chemical  by  means  of  water,  drying  the  vial 
and  obtaining  its  weight.  From  these  weights  the  amounts  of 
gold-sodium  chloride  in  each  vial  can  readily  be  calculated,  and 
if  there  should  be  an  error  in  any  direction,  it  is  quite  likely  to 
be  in  favor  of  the  chemical. 
The  metallic  gold  was  estimated  as  follows  :  Transfer  the  contents 
of  a  vial  into  a  250  c.c.  evaporating  dish,  by  means  of  100  c.c.  of  a 
