446  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference,  {^p/embefam1' 
the  point  at  which  coagulation  no  longer  occurs.  To  remedy  these 
defects  Mr.  Bird  suggests  the  use  of  ether  with  nitric  acid. 
Aromatic  Spirit  of  Ammonia. — The  barium  chloride  test  for  car- 
bonate in  aromatic  spirit  of  ammonia  may  be  rendered  more  accu- 
rate by  the  addition  of  sodium  or  ammonium  chloride. 
Pepsin. — The  solubility  of  pepsin  in  alcohol  (90  per  cent.)  varies 
from  17  to  37  per  cent. 
Liquor  Ferri  Perchloride  Fortis. 
By  Thomas  Tyrer  and  A.  Levy. 
The  authors  consider  it  probable  that  manufacturers  do  not  make 
solutions  of  ferric  chloride  according  to  the  method  described  in  the 
Pharmacopoeia,  and  they  confirm  the  statement  that  commercial 
•samples  of  the  strong  solution  cannot  be  obtained  of  specific  gravity 
1-42. 
Phenol  Suppositories. 
By  F.  R.  Dudderidge, 
The  author  deals  with  the  difficulty  experienced  in  removing 
phenol  suppositories  from  the  mould  in  hot  weather.  He  finds 
that  the  presence  of  white  beeswax  tends  to  affect  the  physical  con- 
sistence of  the  suppositories  as  well  as  to  raise  the  melting  point. 
Omitting  the  wax,  he  was  able  to  prepare  much  more  satisfactory 
articles,  and  it  is  suggested  that  the  official  formula  should  be  modi- 
fied accordingly. 
Notes  on  Opium,  Olive  Oil  and  Saccharin. 
By  E.  Dowzard. 
Opium. — The  amount  of  morphine  in  dried  and  powdered  opium 
varies  from  12-3  to  14-9  per  cent. 
Olive  Oil. — An  examination  of  forty  samples  showed  a  specific 
gravity  ranging  between  0-9155  and  0-9165  ;  seven  a  specific  gravity 
of  0-915  ;  four  a  specific  gravity  of  0-917,  and  one  a  specific  gravity 
of  0  9172. 
Saccharin. — The  two  commercial  qualities  of  saccharin  are  deter- 
mined by  their  solubility  in  acetone. 
Mercurous  Iodide. 
By  Frederick  B.  Power. 
The  author  summarizes  the  methods  which  have  been  advocated 
for  the  preparation  of  mercurous  iodide,  and  gives  the  results  of 
