^ptJember,him'}    British  Pharmaceutical  Conference.  445 
a  syrup  which  shall  represent  the  syrupus  ferri  phosphatis  cum  qui- 
nina  et  strychnina  of  the  Pharmacopoeia,  cannot  be  prepared.  Three 
samples  were  labelled  simply  "  liquor  Easton,"  pro  syrup.  They, 
therefore,  could  not  be  understood  to  represent  a  liquor  with  which 
the  official  syrup  could  be  prepared. 
Tinctures  of  the  British  Pharmacopoeia. 
By  J.  C.  McWalter. 
The  author  gives  the  results  of  numerous  determinations  of  the 
specific  gravity  of  tinctures,  and  of  the  weights  of  residues  left  after 
evaporation  of  known  volumes  of  such  preparations.  The  latter 
show  much  greater  variation  than  the  specific  gravities,  and  it  is 
suggested  that  official  standards  for  residues  would  be  of  but  little 
use  on  account  of  the  very  wide  limits  that  must  be  allowed. 
ASAFETIDA  PREPARATA. 
By  H.  W.  Jones. 
In  the  purification  of  asafetida  the  author  employs  a  method  of 
precipitation  as  follows : 
"  One  part  of  undried  asafetida  is  treated  with  five  fluid  parts  of 
alcohol  (90  per  cent.)  in  a  closed  jar  in  a  water-bath,  and  solution 
effected  by  the  aid  of  a  little  heat.  The  liquid  portion  was  filtered 
off  when  cold  and  poured  into  ten  times  its  bulk  of  water  faintly 
acidulated  with  hydrochloric  acid.  After  standing  for  twenty-four 
hours  the  precipitated  mass,  consisting  of  resins  and  essential  oil,  was 
collected  on  a  calico  filter,  washed  with  water,  scraped  off  into  a 
shallow  dish,  and  exposed  to  the  air  for  a  few  days  to  allow  of  the 
evaporation  of  a  small  quantity  of  water  appearing  on  the  surface. 
The  possible  use  of  asafetida  so  prepared  would  be  for  pill  masses  in 
place  of  the  powder,  and  it  might  also  be  used  for  the  easy  prepara- 
tion of  the  tincture,  in  which  case  the  use  of  rectified  spirit,  in  place 
of  the  weaker  alcohol  now  ordered,  would  be  a  distinct  advantage." 
Laboratory  Notes. 
By  F.  C.J.  Bird. 
Liquor  Pancreatis,  B.P. — The  author  finds  that  the  test  given  for 
verifying  the  proteolytic  activity  of  official  pancreatic  solution  is  not 
sufficiently  definite,  and  that,  at  times,  it  is  difficult  to  determine 
