410  Commercial  Mercurial  Ointments  {Aseptui,'w7tEM" 
ascertain  its  variation  in  strength,  which  as  will  be  seen  by  the  fol- 
lowing results,  is  considerable.  Ten  samples  of  the  ointment  were 
obtained  from  different  establishments,  and  in  each  and  every  case, 
they  were  represented  to  be  the  officinal  article.  100  grains  of  these 
ointments  yielded  respectively :  1,  48J  grs.  ;  2,  48J  grs.  ;  3,  48  grs.  ; 
4,  46  grs.  ;  5,  30  grs.  ;  6,  30  grs. ;  7,  26  grs.  ;  8,  25  grs.  ;  9,  24  grs.  ; 
.and  10,  22  grains  of  mercurj^.  The  experiments  were  all  conducted 
alike  and  under  similar  circumstances.  The  process  employed  to 
separate  the  mercury  was  as  follows  :  100  grains  ointment  were  put 
into  a  large  test-tube  with  one  fluidounce  of  muriatic  acid,  and  boiled 
until  the  grease  separated  and  floated  on  the  surface,  the  liquid  por- 
tion was  then  separated  from  the  black  powder ;  to  this  powder 
another  fluidounce  of  muriatic  acid  was  added  and  the  whole  boiled 
until  the  mercury  ran  into  a  globule  ;  the  liquid  portion  was  separated 
as  before,  the  mercury  washed  with  benzin  to  remove  the  last  traces  of 
fat,  and  finally  washed  with  water,  dried  and  weighed.  The  oint- 
ments that  yielded  from  45  to  48  per  cent,  of  mercury,  may  be  con- 
sidered as  being  of  full  strength,  as  in  separating  it  by  the  above 
process,  there  is  a  slight  loss,  say  of  about  2J-  per  cent,  to  5  per  cent. 
A  sample  of  mercurial  ointment  known  to  contain  one-third  of  mer- 
cury was  examined  by  this  process,  and  yielded  the  requisite  amount 
of  mercury.  Three  samples  of  blue  mass  were  also  tested  in  a  similar 
manner,  and  in  each  case  they  were  found  to  be  of  the  officinal 
strength. 
SYRUPUS  ASS  AFQETIDiE. 
By  J.  W.  Wood. 
An  eligible  syrup  of  assafoetida,  that  would  be  not  unpleasant  to 
the  patient,  and  also  keep  a  reasonable  length  of  time  without  change, 
has  long  been  a  desideratum  among  physicians  and  pharmacists. 
Many  formulas  have  been  published,  but  none  seems  to  have  met  with 
general  favor ;  and  some  produced  so  unstable  a  preparation  as  to 
render  them  altogether  worthless.  In  experimenting  towards  these  dif- 
ficulties, the  admirable  solvent  properties  of  glycerin,  and  its  slight 
medicinal  activity,  commended  it  as  a  suitable  medium,  and  the  re- 
sults prove  that  a  very  desirable  and  not  unhandsome  preparation 
may  be  obtained,  that  meets  all  the  above  requirements  and  is  also 
