582  Glass  for  Manufacture  of  Ampuls.      { IV^nsf^'igTo, 
sterilization  process  which  ampul  solutions  are  required  to  undergo, 
or  may  yield  sufficient  alkali  in  the  period  during  which  they  are 
necessarily  kept  in  stock  bdfore  being  sold,  to  cause  the  precipitation 
of  a  portion  of  the  alkaloidal  base  of  a  solution  of  alkaloidal  salt 
when  placed  in  the  ampuls,  and  because  unselected  glass  may  throw 
off  spicules  or  splinters  of  glass  under  the  stress  of  the  sterilization 
process  or  during  storage.  It  is  sufficient  merely  to  point  out,  in 
order  to  show  the  unsuitability  and  even  danger  in  the  use  of  im- 
properly selected  glass,  that  precipitation  of  alkaloidal  base  will 
result  in  the  lowering  of  the  efficacy  of  an  ampul  solution  upon  which 
a  physician  may  be  relying  in  a  serious  case  of  illness  and  the  pro- 
duction of  spicules  or  splinters  of  glass  in  the  ampul  solution  may 
result  in  discomfort,  local  irritation,  or  possibly  more  remote  and 
more  dangerous  consequences.  The  use  of  a  slight  addition  of  acid 
to  ampul  solutions  in  an  effort  to  correct  for  the  alkalinity  of  unse- 
lected or  improperly  selected  glass  is  contra-indicated  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  glass  can  be  made  or  selected  which  requires  no  use  of  acid. 
The  use  of  acid  is  also  contra-indicated  because  acidity  is  usually 
productive  of  irritation  at  the  site  of  injection. 
In  outlining  tests  for  the  selection  of  glass  for  the  manufacture 
of  ampuls  the  working  of  the  glass  under  the  flame  must  also  be  con- 
sidered. In  addition,  other  tests  which  may  act  as  checks  on  the 
"alkalinity,"  "spicule"  and  "flame"  tests  are  frequently  resorted  to. 
The  series  of  tests  mentioned  below  will,  as  a  rule,  be  sufficient  for 
proper  selection  of  glass,  if  applied  "secundum  artae."  However, 
the  "art,"  particularly  the  "flame"  testing  can  be  attained  only 
by  practical  experience. 
TKSTS  FOR  THE   SKlvECTlON   OF  GLASS  FOR  THE  MANUFACTURE  OF 
AMPULS. 
Size  of  tubing,  thickness  of  wall,  freedom  from  certain  proscribed 
ingredients,  color:  in  accordance  with  specifications. 
''Working  under  the  flame:''  can  be  judged  only  by  practical 
experience  obtained  by  comparison  of  many  varieties  of  glass. 
Standard:  greatest  ease  in  working  consistent  with  the  other 
requirements. 
''Alkaloidal  Alkalinity  Test'' — "General." — A  i  per  cent,  solution 
of  U.  S.  P.  morphine  sulphate  or  a  0.2  per  cent,  solution  of  U.  S.  P. 
strychnine  sulphate  in  normal  saline  solution  must  not  develop 
crystals  or  become  turbid  or  opalescent  when  sterilized  under  prac- 
