584 
Glass  for  Manufacture  of  Ampuls. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
August,  1920. 
pressure  for  45  minutes.  At  the  end  of  this  time  the  tube  is  carefully 
examined  for  color  and  spicules.    A  pink  color  indicates  alkalinity. 
"  Phenolsulphonephthalein  Alkalinity  Autoclave  Test'' — In  all 
respects  this  is  similar  to  the  preceding  test  with  the  exception  that 
a  yellowish  solution  of  phenolsulphonephthalein  is  used  instead  of 
phenolphthalein  and  the  autoclaved  liquid  is  examined  for  any 
reddish  tint  which  may  develop. 
The  following  table  shows  some  typical  results  obtained  by  the 
use  of  the  several  tests  mentioned  above  in  glass  tubing  offered  for 
the  manufacture  of  ampuls : 
"Phenolphthalein  "Loss  to 
Sample  "Spicule"  Alkalinity"  Water" 
No.     Color.    "Flame"  test.  test.  test.  test.  Suitability. 
1  Flint  O.K.  None  0.098  Mgm.  0.7   Mgm.  O.K. 
2  Flint  Works  hard  Spicules    4.2    Mgm.  Not  O.  K. 
3  Flint  Works  easily  Spicules    1.9   Mgm.  Not  O.  K. 
4  Flint  Works  easily  None  Undeter.  0.61  Mgm.  O.K. 
trace 
5  Flint  Works  easily   None  0.102  Mgm.  i.i    Mgm.  O.K. 
6  Flint   Works  hard     Spicules    Unweigh-  Not  O.  K. 
able 
7  Flint   Works  easily   None    0.62  Mgm.  O.K. 
8  Flint  Works  easily   None    0.49  Mgm.  O.  K. 
9  Flint  Works  easily   None    3.2    Mgm.  O.  K. 
10     Flint  Works  easily   A  few  spic-    4.4   Mgm.  Not  O.  K. 
ules 
All  of  these  samples  yielded  perfect  results  in  the  "alkaloidal 
alkalinity"  test.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  after  a  satisfactory  source 
has  been  established,  it  is  only  occasionally  that  a  sample  fails  to 
answer  this  requirement,  but  this  occasional  exception  illustrates 
the  necessity  for  the  application  of  this  test. 
The  relation  between  the  alkalinity  yielded  in  the  "phenolph- 
thalein alkalinity"  test  and  the  result  of  the  "alkaloidal  alkalinity" 
test  was  not  determined,  the  "phenolphthalein  alkalinity"  test  being 
rejected  in  favor  of  the  shorter  and  more  practical  "alkaloidal  alka- 
linity" test. 
The  phenolphthalein  and  phenolsulphonephthalein  alkalinity 
autoclave  tests  are  used  by  some  workers,  but  they  are  open  to 
the  criticism  that  they  bear  no  practical  direct  relation  to  the  possible 
use  of  the  glass  for  ampul  purposes,  whereas  in  the  same  time  and 
with  no  more  labor  a  direct  result  can  be  obtained  by  the  use  of  the 
"alkaloidal  alkalinity"  test. 
