Am.  Jour  Phaim.\        Ame7'{can  Pharmaceutical  Associotion.  513 
Oct.  l»8o.  j 
A  note  by  Prof.  L.  E.  Sayre,  of  the  Kansas  University,  stated  that  plios- 
plioric  acid,  in  which  these  plants  had  grown  for  eleven  months,  had  not 
decreased  in  acid  strength,  and  that  Dr.  Formad  of  Philadelphia  regards 
the~ plants  as  not  being  of  a  poisonous  or  deleterious  character. 
Assay  of  Tincture  of  Opium.  Two  papers  were  presented,  by  Prof.  E.  L. 
iPatch,  and  by  W.  W.  Bartlet,  of  Boston.  Both  authors  advocate  a  standard 
strength  for  the  tincture,  the  opium  to  contain  either  14  per  cent,  (the  officinal 
strength  of  denarcotized  opium),  or  12  per  cent,  of  morpLiine  (the  minimum 
officinal  strength  of  powdered  opium.)  Tlie  assaying  should  be  effected  by 
evaporating  the  tincture,  mixing  the  residue  with  lime,  and  operating 
further,  essentially  in  the  manner  directed  by  the  Pharmacoi^oeia  for  the 
assaying  of  opium. 
Commercial  Abstracts,  by  Prof.  V.  Coblentz,  Springfield,  Ohio.  The 
.abstracts  of  seven  manufacturers  were  examined.  Abstractum  aconiti. 
The  percentage  of  alkaloids  varied  in  five  samples,  regarded  as  being  of 
;good  quality,  between  0  20  and  0  38,  and  fell  in  two  to  0-012  and  0-018.  Four 
^samples  of  abstractum  jalapse  reached  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia  standard 
for  resin  in  jalap  root,  varying  between  21  and  26-3  per  cent.,  the  three 
remaining  samples  containing  only  between  10-4  and  17-4  per  cent.  Only 
one  sample  of  Abstractum  nucis  vomicae  reached  or  exceeded  tiie  lowest 
alkaloidal  strength  of  the  seeds  (2'74}  observed  by  Dunstan  and  Short  (see 
^' Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1883,  p.  468)  ;  it  contained  5*96  per  cent,  of  mixed 
alkaloids,  while  the  remaining  six  samples  varied  between  1-52  and  4-62 
per  cent. 
Liquor  Ferri  Nitraiis,  by  L.  Dohme,  Baltimore.  The  present  officinal 
formula  yields  a  clear  amber-colored,  slightly  acid  liquid,  which  will  keep 
;an  indefinite  length  of  time,  yielding  upon  assay  2  per  cent,  of  ferric 
liydrate.  To  obtain  uniform  results  the  solution  of  tersulphate  of  iron  and 
the  nitric  acid  must  both  be  of  officinal  strength. 
Oleate  of  Mercury^  by  Prof.  Enilen  Painter,  New  York.  The  author's 
Tesults  are  summed  up  as  follows  : 
1.  Pure  oleic  acid  for  the  preparation  of  a  20  per  cent,  oleate  of  mercurj^ 
is  equal  to  an  acid  containing  a  small  percentage  of  stearic  acid,  though  not 
superior  to  it;  but  for  the  prejoaration  of  an  oleate  of  the  officinal  strength 
it  might  preferably  contain  sufficient  stearic  acid  to  make  it  of  the  con- 
:sistence  of  a  soft  solid. 
2.  Purified  red  oil  made  from  good  fresh  fat  is  in  every  way  suitable  for 
making  this  oleate. 
3.  Very  finely  triturated  red  oxide  of  mercury  is  preferable  to  the  yellow 
•oxide,  and  no  artificial  heat  whatever  should  be  employed  in  making  this 
preparation. 
4.  Oleate  of  mercury  is  best  prepared  by  the  direct  union  of  the  oxide 
and  acid. 
5.  Petroleum  ointment  is  a  proper  diluent  for  the  oleate  containing  a  less 
percentage  of  mercury  than  the  combining  proportions,  and  to  facilitate 
its  preparation  about  an  equal  weight  of  the  petroleum  ointment  should  be 
mixed  with  the  oxide  before  the  acid  is  added. 
6.  Glycerite  of  starch  (plasma)  will  probably  be  found  a  suitable  excipient 
.for  diluting  this  oleate. 
33 
