Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
September,  1920.  ) 
Examination  of  Camphor, 
689 
of  the  N.  W.  D.  A.,  held  at  the  Hotel  Grunewald,  New  Orleans,  is 
presented  in  a  well  printed  volume  of  599  pages.  It  contains  the 
addresses,  reports  and  various  actions  taken  at  the  Annual  Meeting. 
The  report  of  the  Committee  on  Memorial  is  illustrated  by  a  mina- 
ture  portrait  of  each  of  the  deceased  members. 
The  various  important  reports  are  well  worthy  of  careful  perusal. 
Undoubtedly,  under  existing  conditions,  that  on  legislation  claims 
first  attention. 
Through  its  various  committees,  this  Association  is,  from  time  to 
time,  presenting  reports  of  great  value  on  the  subjects  of  Fire  Insur- 
ance, Transportation,  Adulterations,  Trade  Marks,  Business  Methods, 
etc.,  which  are  well  worthy  of  careful  study,  by  the  various  branches 
of  the  drug  trade. 
The  banquet  served  on  the  evening  of  November  6th,  is  fully 
described.  John  W.  Durr,  of  Montgomery,  Ala.,  acted  as  the 
toastmaster,  and  addresses  were  made  by  officers  and  prominent 
guests.  • 
The  closing  pages  of  the  volume  contain  the  certificate  of  incor- 
poration, Constitution  and  By-Laws,  and  a  well  prepared  index. 
The  volume  throughout  bespeaks  the  solid  character  of  the  Associa- 
tion, and  this  is  fully  sustained  by  the  published  list  of  members. 
G.  M.  B. 
THE  EXAMINATION  OF  CHINESE  CRUDE  CAMPHOR.* 
By  K.  R.  DovEY,  A.R.C.Sc,  A.I.C. 
In  the  examination  of  crude  camphor,  the  estimations  usually 
required  are  those  of  non-volatile  matter  (or  dirt),  moisture,  and 
oil,  and  the  sum  of  these  impurities  subtracted  from  100  per  cent, 
is  supposed  to  represent  the  camphor  present.  The  moisture  may 
be  conveniently  estimated  by  the  calcium  carbide  method,  allowing 
three  hours  for  the  evolution  of  gas,  and  the  dirt  by  the  residue  left 
after  volatilizing  a  weighed  portion  of  camphor. 
So  far  as  is  known  to  the  writer,  no  reliable  method  for  the  estima- 
tion of  camphor  oil  in  crude  camphor  has  been  published,  other  than 
the  melting-point  method  given  in  Allen's  "Commercial  Organic 
Analysis,"  Vol.  iv,  p.  197. 
As  this  laboratory  was  called  upon  to  examine  a  considerable 
number  of  Chinese  crude  camphors,  the  following  method  worked 
*  From  The  Analyst,  June,  1920. 
