388 
Malt  Extracts. 
/  Am.  Jour.  Pharru. 
\      July,  1896. 
The  diastatic  power  was  tested  in  the  following  manner :  A  i  per 
cent:  potato  starch  mucilage,  made  by  rubbing  10  grammes  of  potato 
starch  with  50  c.c.  of  water,  pouring  the  mixture  into  900  c.c.  of 
boiling  water,  the  boiling  continued  for  half  an  hour,  cooled  to  550 
C,  and  enough  water  added  to  make  1,000  c  c.  Of  this  mucilage, 
5  c.c.  were  mixed  with  90  c.c.  of  water  at  550  C,  and  5  c.c.  of  liquid 
malt  extract  added.  This  mixture  was  then  put  into  a  bottle 
and  a  temperature  of  55°  C.  maintained  by  means  of  a  water  bath 
for  five  hours.  Tests  were  made  at  first  every  five  minutes,  and  later 
at  longer  intervals. 
In  order  to  confirm,  or  rather  to  ascertain,  whether  or  not  the 
above  method  was  a  fair  indication  of  the  absence  of  diastase  the  liquid 
extracts  were  evaporated  at  a  low  temperature  (not  exceeding  6o° 
C.)  to  a  thick  extract,  and  treated  in  the  manner  recommended  by 
Dunstan  and  Dimmock,  but  no  better  results  were  obtained.  The 
presence  of  alcohol  and  the  absence  of  diastase  indicate  into  what 
class  of  preparations  liquid  malt  extracts  may  be  placed. 
In  this  connection,  the  following,  taken  from  U.  S.  Internal  Reve- 
nue regulations,  .1893,  may  be  of  interest : 
A  druggist  is  not  required  to  pay  tax  as  a  rectifier  for  recovering  alcohol 
previously  used  by  himself  in  the  preparation  of  his  medicines.  Nor  shall  any 
special  tax  be  imposed  upon  apothecaries  as  to  wines  or  spirituous  liquors  which 
they  use  exclusively  with  preparation  or  making  up  of  medicines. 
By  the  provision  of  Section  3,246,  Revised  Statutes,  a  druggist  is  permitted  to 
keep  spirits  and  wines,  and  to  use  them  in  combination  with  drugs  in  the  pre- 
paration of  medicines  that  are  not  beverages,  and  to  sell  such  medicines  with- 
out paying  special  tax  as  a  liquor  dealer  under  the  internal  revenue  laws  of  the 
United  States.  But  under  the  uniform  rulings  of  this  office,  and  the  decisions 
of  the  United  States  Courts,  he  cannot,  without  subjecting  himself  to  the  special 
tax,  sell  spirits  or  wines  that  are  not  combined  with  drugs  or  materials  of  any 
kind,  taking  the  liquors  out  of  the  class  of  beverages,  even  when  he  sells  the 
liquors  on  a  physician's  prescription,  and  for  medicinal  use  only. 
Besides  the  medicinal  compounds  which  a  druggist  is  authorized  to  sell 
without  paying  special  tax  as  a  liquor  dealer,  although  they  contain  alcoholic 
liquors  there  are  other  compounds  containing  spirits,  which,  while  they  are  not 
medicinal,  are  non-potable  articles  that  do  not  come  under  the  head  of  distilled 
"  spirits,  wines  or  malt  liquors  "  in  contemplation  of  the  internal  revenue  laws, 
and  which,  therefore,  he  is  entitled  to  sell  without  paying  special  tax;  e.  g. 
toilet  articles,  such  as  cologne,  bay  rum,  "  ether  with  alcohol  "  for  use  in  pho- 
tography; benzine  or  ether  with  alcohol  for  cleaning  purposes  ;  castor  oil  and 
alcohol  for  toilet  use,  Florida  water,  violet  water,  etc.,  toilet  articles  made  from 
alcohol,  camphor  and  alcohol,  alcohol,  ammonia  and  whiting,  a  cleaning 
preparation,  alcohol  and  shellac  for  painters,  etc.  Wyeth's  malt  extract,  which 
