562 
On  a  False  White  Ginger. 
("Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
|     Dec.  1, 1874. 
different  methods  do  not  give  the  expected  result  of  quick  operation, 
without  finally  introducing  foreign  non-volatile  substances  into  the 
mercurial  ointment. 
In  following  exactly  the  manipulations  indicated  hereafter,  a  fault- 
less ointment,  corresponding  to  the  requirements  of  the  new  Codex, 
is  always  obtained  in  fifteen  minutes. 
Put  into  a  mortar  100  grams  of  mercurial  ointment  from  a  previ- 
ous operation,  and  500  grams  of  mercury ;  with  rapid  trituration 
add  gradually  30  grams  of  sulphuric  ether,  and  in  a  few  minutes  the 
mercury  will  be  divided  into  imperceptible  globules  ;  then  add  about 
100  grams  of  lard,  and  after  several  minutes  of  vigorous  trituration, 
examine  in  the  usual  way  whether  the  -  extinction  of  the  metal  has 
been  effected.  If  some  globules  remain  visible,  the  addition  of  a 
little  ether  and  some  trituration  will  complete  this  portion  of  the 
process.  The  ointment  is  then  finished  by  adding  the  requisite  quan- 
tity of  lard. 
It  is  very  evident  that  the  rapidity  of  the  manipulation  is  the  same, 
whatever  quantity  of  the  ointment  is  to  be  obtained. 
By  using  benzoinated  lard,  960  grams,  with  which  40  grams  of 
white  wax  have  been  incorporated  at  a  moderate  heat,  the  ointment 
will  in  every  respect  be  identical  with  that  of  the  formula  of  the  new 
Codex.  In  winter  the  ointment  is  sufficiently  consistent  without  the 
addition  of  wax. — Bull.  Soc.  Roy.  de  Phar.  Brux^  1874,  p.  286, 
from  Jour,  de  Chim.  Med.  C.  J.  M. 
ON  A  FALSE  WHITE  GINGER. 
By  M.  Patrouillard,  Pharmacist  at  Gisors. 
Guibourt,  in  his  "  Histoire  naturelle  des  drogues  simples,"  says 
about  white  ginger :  "  It  is  possible  to  prepare  a  false  white  ginger 
by  peeling  the  bark  of  grey  ginger  and  bleaching  it  with  sulphurous 
acid,  chlorinated  lime,  or  merely  coating  it  externally  with  lime." 
Some  time  ago  I  found  in  the  drug  market  ginger  bleached  by  the 
aid  of  one  of  the  substances  named  above.  The  ginger  in  question 
was  of  a  dull  white,  and  the  outside  was  not  striated  longitudinally 
like  the  genuine  white  ginger.  It  is  covered  with  a  white  dust,  which 
comes  off  very  easily  by  touching  it  or  scratching  it  with  a  knife. 
On  examining  this  powder  through  the  microscope,  it  will  show  a 
small  quantity  of  granular,  spherical,  or  orbicular,  colorless  bodies, 
