ON IMPORTATIONS OF IODINE. 
197 
believed invariab'y to designate this article, while the purer 
variety is with equal uniformity characterised as "re-sublim- 
ed" or *< sublimed" iodine. The average price of the latter in 
London, is about 50 per cent, higher than that of the former, 
the one being worth at present about eight pence per oz. the 
other about one shilling per oz. 
The following table exhibits the amount of each kind 
imported into our city during the last year, and thus far 
the present year. 
Commercial. Re-sublimed. Total. 
1S49 17,003 oz. 4,432 oz. 21,435 oz. 
1850 9,406 4,484 ) 3,890 
26,409 8,916 35,325 
This whole amount of iodine was of excellent quality • 
the commercial article being found perfectly pure with the 
exception of a degree of moisture ranging from 2 to 5 per 
cent. ;* — the resublimed affording no appreciable trace of 
any impurity. 
The opportunity may here be taken of presenting a few 
remarks on the action of our law for preventing the importa- 
tion of adulterated drugs, upon this article, and the difficul- 
ties which have arisen in regard to its practical application 
to particular cases. One subject of doubt which early pre- 
sented itself to the different Examiners appointed under the 
law, was the propriety of requiring the same standard of 
excellence for drugs and chemical preparations not designed 
as for those designed for medicinal application: and it had 
been the practice at one at least, of our ports, to make a 
*An analysis of some commercial iodine, (said to be of the same 
kind as a lot included in the above,) made by Prof. Hays of Boston, 
for the Examiner of that port, gives the following result: 
"Water, .68 
Muriatic acid, .13 
Pure iodine, - - - 99.19=100." 
A degree of purity not often surpassed by the refined article. 
