78  Alkaloidal  Assaying.  {^gg'tSS™*' 
graphically  proven  the  presence  of  cerin  crystals  in  cork  cells. 
After  a  number  of  crystallizations  this  product  has  a  fusing  point, 
constant  at  2500,  and  responds  to  the  formula  C20H32O. 
Preparation  of  mercurial  ointment. — M.  Bernhard  modifies  Tardy 's 
process  (L' Union  pharm.,  March,  1 891),  as  follows: 
Take  of  mercury,  100  gm.;  bezoinated  lard,  90  gm.,  and  lanolin, 
10  gm.  Triturate  the  mercury  and  the  lanolin  ;  add  10  drops  of 
castor  oil,  triturating  again  for  a  few  moments  ;  then  incorporate 
20  gm.  of  the  benzoinated  lard,  triturating  energetically  until  the 
mercury  globules  have  completely  disappeared,  which  will  take 
about  five  minutes,  when  the  rest  of  the  benzoinated  lard  is  added. 
Operated  in  this  way,  the  preparation  is  completed  in  fifteen  minutes, 
and  responds  to  all  the  requirements  of  the  Codex. — Soc.  de  Pharm. 
de  V  Eure ;  see  also  Amer.  Jour.  Pharm.,  1889,  p.  247,  and  1891, 
p.  124. 
Paste  for  fixing  labels  on  glass,  porcelain  and  iron. — The  follow- 
ing is  recommended  in  Nouveaux  Remedes,  November,  1892,  p.  1  : 
120  gm.  of  gum  arabic  and  30  gm.  of  gum  tragacanth  are  macerated 
separately  in  a  little  water  ;  the  latter  mixture  is  agitated  until  a 
viscous  emulsion  is  formed,  when  the  gum  arabic  solution  is  added 
and  the  whole  filtered  through  fine  linen.  With  this  liquid  are  then 
incorporated  120  gm.  of  glycerin,  in  which  2-5  gm.  oil  of  thyme 
have  been  dissolved.  The  volume  is  then  made  up  to  one  litre  by 
the  addition  of  distilled  water.  This  paste  is  said  to  possess 
remarkable  adhesiveness,  and  to  keep  well  in  sealed  flasks. 
ALKALOIDAL  ASSAYING.  0 
By  C.  C.  Keller. 
Abstract  from  Schweiz.  Wochensch:  f.  Chem.  und  Phar.,  1892,  pp.  501  and  509,  by 
F.  X.  Moerk. 
The  Swiss  Pharmacopoeia,  now  undergoing  revision,  will  show  a 
marked  progress  in  the  matter  of  assayed  drugs  and  preparations, 
since  it  is  the  intention  to  give  for  numerous  preparations  accurate 
or  at  least  approximate  quantitative  methods  of  examination.  Of 
the  several  general  assay  methods,  (I)  Dieterich's  method  (mixing 
the  drug  with  calcium  hydrate,  drying,  powdering,  extracting  with 
ether,  evaporating,  dissolving  the  residue  in  alcohol  and  titrating 
with  yq~o  ^-hydrochloric  acid,  using  logwood  as  the  indicator)  is 
opposed  for  several  reasons:  (1)  The  use  of  a  fragile  extracting 
