Arn.  Jour.  Pharm."! 
October,  1896.  / 
Correspondence. 
575 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
Editor  of  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy. 
Dear  Sir  : — The  following  may  possibly  have  some  bearing  on 
the  subject  of  Professor  Caspari's  paper  in  the  American  Journal  of 
Pharmacy  for  September,  that  alcohol  is  not  indifferent  to  indica- 
tors. 
In  Apotheker  Zeitung,  1895,  p.  48,  Salzer  explains  the  apparent 
alkalinity  of  alcohol  (turning  an  as  much  as  possible  neutral 
solution  of  litmus  of  a  wine-red  color,  blue)  by  stating  that  the  wine- 
red  color  is  due  to  dissolved  carbonic  acid  gas,  which  is  dispelled 
from  the  solution  on  the  same  principle  that  air  is  dispelled  from 
water  on  mixing  with  alcohol.  One  drop  of  such  a  litmus  solution 
added  to  2-3  c.c.  of  alcohol  shows  this  plainly. 
Another  observation  may  have  some  bearing,  too.  Allen  [Analyst, 
1896,  p.  86,  or  Chem.  and  Drug.,  1896,  p.  22)  calls  attention  to  the 
fact  that  ordinary  quinine  is  practically  neutral  to  brazil  wood, 
cochineal  and  logwood,  but  rather  strongly  alkaline  to  methyl- 
orange.  To  litmus  it  is  distinctly  alkaline  (QugHgSO^.  On  the 
other  hand,  bisulphate  is  neutral  to  methyl-orange. 
He,  therefore,  advises  that  chemists  should  be  particular  in  the 
use  of  indicators. 
Editor  ^  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy. 
Dear  Sir  : — The  firm  of  Evans  &  Sons,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  having 
read  my  article  on  u  Gelatine  Capsules,"  as  printed  in  the  American 
Journal  of  Pharmacy,  asked  me  to  correct  the  erroneous  statement 
that  their  capsules — the  so-called  "  Savaresse's  capsules  " — were 
short-lived,  as  stated  therein.  The  fact  is  that,  while  the  first  cap- 
sules were  not  a  great  success,  improvements  were  soon  made  in 
their  manufacture,  and  their  sale  has  continued  till  to-day.  The 
error  got  into  the  manuscript  by  cutting  down  a  long  description  of 
these  capsules  to  a  few  lines,  and  was  not  discovered  in  time  to  alter 
the  reprint  as  presented  at  the  Montreal  meeting. 
As  Evans  &  Sons  think  that  an  injustice  has  been  done  them,  I 
hereby  take  occasion  to  correct  the  error.    I  remain, 
Yours  truly, 
Hans  M.  Wilder. 
Bayonne,  N.  J.,  September  5,  1896. 
Yours  truly, 
William  C.  Alpers. 
