Am.  Jour.  Pharuu. 
July,  1896. 
Powdered  Gamboge. 
371 
careful  consideration  by  all  who  are  interested  in  the  scientific 
progress  of  practical  pharmacy. 
Per  Cent. 
jrer  Lcul. 
of  Extract 
of  Extract 
Drug. 
Obtained. 
Drug. 
Obtained. 
Cannabis  indica 
•    •  13 
•    •  30 
•  •  7 
Fucus  vesiculosus  .  . 
.  .  26 
Ergot  
.    .  14 
Cubeb   . 
20 
■  •  35 
Licorice,  purified  . 
•  •  55 
.  ,  19 
_  0 
.  .  27 
Ouassia   
•  •  3*5 
•  •  15 
.  .  30 
.  .  46 
Cotton-root  bark  . 
.  .  10 
•  •  30 
■  •  17 
•  ■  •  5 
Viburnum  opulus  . 
.  .  23 
•  •  35 
•  •  •  30 
.  .  30 
.  .  .  25 
Jaborandi     .  .  . 
•  •  25 
.   ,  18 
Grindelia  robusta  . 
..i .  20 
.  .  .  7 
Colchicum  (acetic) 
•  •  25 
.  .  .  24. 
Scoparius  .... 
.  .  .  17 
.  .  .  25 
Chirata   
•  .,V>  15 
305  Cherry  Street,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
THE  EXAMINATION  OF  POWDERED  GAMBOGE.1  - 
By  E.  G.  Eberhardt. 
In  the  last  revision  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  and  also  in  the  preced- 
ing one,  under  the  heading  "  Cambogia,"  there  follows,  after  the 
description  of  general  properties,  this  statement :  "  Boiled  with 
water,  gamboge  yields  a  liquid  which,  after  cooling,  does  not  become 
green  with  iodine  T.  S.  (absence  of  starch)."  This  test  is  suffi- 
ciently delicate  to  disclose  the  presence  of  considerably  less  than 
1  per  cent,  of  starch,  and  although  good  pipe  gamboge  will  gener- 
ally meet  this  requirement,  an  experience  extending  over  several 
years  has  failed  to  discover  a  powdered  gum  that  would  do  the  same. 
There  always  seems  to  be  present  in  the  latter  a  small  amount — I 
1  Read  at  the  meeting  of  the  Indiana  Pharmaceutical  Association,  June  3,  1896. 
