378 
Laboratory  Notes. 
/Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\     August,  1900. 
pounds*  have  entered  the  American  market.  The  assay  of  about 
twenty  (20)  consignments,  representing  about  3,000  pounds,  showed 
,the  following  results  : 
4  Total  Alkaloids,  Dry. 
Representing  the 
Total  Alkaloids,  Moist.  Moisture.  Powdered  Drug. 
Per  Cent.  Per  Cent.  Per  Cent. 
Min  1*85  3-18  1-92 
Max  2*29  4-40  2*40 
Average  2*03  3*87  2*11 
The  figures  show  the  Carthagena  root  to  be  richer  in  total  alka- 
loids than  the  Rio  Ipecac,  but  no  investigation  has  been  made 
recently  to  determine  the  proportions  of  the  several  alkaloids  in 
order  to  determine  whether  the  two  varieties  agree  in  this  respect. 
Indigo. — Several  samples  of  Indigo  came  up  for  examination,  of 
which  the  Bengal  variety  was  far  superior  to  the  Madras,  as  the  fol- 
lowing results  indicate  : 
Per  Cent. 
Bengal  Indigo,  Ash  8*57 
Madras    "    No.  1,  Ash  75 '00 
"    No.  2,  Ash  69-09 
Crocus. —  A.  number  of  samples  of  Spanish  Saffron  were  examined, 
with  the  following  results  : 
Min.        Max.  Average. 
Nine  (9)  samples,  percent,  of  ash  4*57       6*83  5*80 
Only  one  sample  contained  a  preponderance  of  the  yellow  styles 
of  the  flower,  indicating  sophistication  or  careless  collection. 
Honey. — The  examination  of  a  number  of  samples  of  Honey, 
representing  several  thousand  pounds,  showed  this  product  to  con- 
form to  the  U  S.P.  requirements  in  every  respect,  and  the  polariscope 
test  also  indicated  the  absence  of  adulteration.  The  results  of  the 
examination  of  ten  (10)  samples  showed  the  specific  gravity  to  vary 
from  1*4277  to  1-4904,  with  an  average  ash  content  of  0-09  per  cent. 
Podophyllum  Resin. — A  sample  of  Resin  of  Podophyllum,  which 
was  recently  offered  at  a  very  low  price,  was  examined,  and  found  to 
be  almost  entirely  insoluble  in  both  ether  and  alcohol,  and  to  possess 
the  characteristics  of  the  powdered  drug  instead  of  the  resin. 
Aloin.—A  sample  of  aloin  from  the  same  source  as  the  podo- 
phyllum resin  had  a  melting  point  of  82-2°  C,  and  its  behavior  to 
solvents  and  microscopic  appearance  indicated  that  it  was  simply- 
powdered  aloes. 
