454  International  Pharmaceutical  Congress.    { Aseptembe?fia9oa ' 
Extract  of  Nux  Vomica. — The  powdered  drug  to  be  freed  from 
fat  with  ether,  then  exhausted  with  alcohol. 
Tests. — Presence  of  brucine  and  strychnine  proved :  moisture, 
0-4  to  2-8  per  cent;  ash,  2-5  to  3-6  per  cent.;  K2C03  in  ash,  15  to 
21-5  per  cent.;  alkaloids,  15  per  cent. 
Extract  of  Opium. — Prepared  by  exhaustion  with  water. 
Tests. — Presence  of  meconic  acid  and  morphine  proved :  mois- 
ture, 2-2  to  9  per  cent.;  ash,  5-4  to  7  per  cent.;  K2C03  in  ash,  01 
to  2  5  per  cent.  Morphiometric  process  proposed  is  Dieterich's,  20 
per  cent,  of  morphine  being  the  strength. 
Extract  of  Digitalis. — Made  from  the  leaves,  like  extract  of  bella- 
donna. 
Tests. — Moisture,  25  to  5  percent.;  ash,  8-14  to  96  per  cent; 
K2C03  in  ash,  2-5  to  6-2  per  cent.;  digitoxine,  1  per  cent.  Assay 
method  given. 
Extract  of  Ergot. — The  powdered  ergot  is  to  be  freed  from  fat  with 
petroleum  ether,  and,  after  drying,  it  is  exhausted  by  percolation 
with  dilute  alcohol.  The  percolate  is  acidulated  with  hydrochloric 
acid  to  precipitate  sclererythrine,  and,  after  filtration,  neutralized 
with  sodium  carbonate  and  evaporated  to  dryness. 
Tests. — Color  reactions  for  cornutine :  moisture,  1  to  10  5  per 
cent.;  ash,  355  to  6  per  cent;  K2C03  in  ash,  18-1  to  65  per  cent.; 
cornutine,  0-15  per  cent,  by  Keller's  process. 
Extract  of  Colocynth. — Made  with  alcohol. 
Tests. — Color  reactions  :  moisture, 09  to  6-5  percent.;  ash,  15  to 
26-3  per  cent;  K2C03,  36-3  to  60  per  cent 
Extract  of  Cannabis  Indica. — Prepared  with  alcohol.  No  tests 
given. 
CAPSULING  OF  LIQUIDS  AND  SOLIDS. 
Lepinois  and  Michel  gave  an  interesting  paper  and  demonstration 
of  a  method  of  capsuling  liquids  and  solids.  They  first  make  gela- 
tin or  gluten  tubes  by,  in  the  case  of  the  gelatin  tubes,  dipping  thin 
glass  tubes,  rubbed  over  with  French  chalk,  into  solution  of  gelatin 
melted  in  a  water-bath.  The  solution  is  made  according  to  the  for- 
mula of  the  French  Codex.  When  the  gelatin  is  set  the  tube  is  slipped 
off  the  mould  in  the  manner  described  in  the  Chem.  and  Drug.,  win- 
ter number,  1900,  in  the  article  on  gelatin  capsules.  The  tubes  are 
then  filled,  and  having  found  out  what  quantity  of  a  powder  the 
