466  Revision  of  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia.  {Am-&ZwTTm* 
Hydrochloric  acid  partly  dissolved  the  resin  and  the  mixture 
acquired  a  violet-blue  color  resembling  "  purple  of  Cassius,"  which, 
however,  soon  faded  to  a  brown.  Sulphuric  acid  completely  dis- 
solved the  resin  with  the  production  of  a  thick  blackish  liquid,  and 
on  adding  the  solution  to  water  the  resin  was  reprecipitated.  With 
nitric  acid  the  resin  imparted  but  a  slight  coloration  to  the  liquid, 
although  it  assumed  a  dark,  reddish  color  itself. 
On  adding  I  cc.  of  fuming  nitric  acid  to  I  gram  of  the  resin,  a 
rapid  oxidation  occurred,  attended  with  copious  evolution  of  nitrous 
fumes,  and  left  as  a  product  of  the  oxidation,  a  brown,  waxy  sub- 
stance which  was  readily  soluble  in  alcohol.  This  alcoholic  solution, 
when  added  to  water  and  filtered,  gave  a  lemon-yellow  solution, 
which  in  its  general  behavior  towards  reagents,  corresponded  to 
picric  acid. 
The  resin  was  but  slightly  soluble  in  solutions  of  potassium  or 
sodium  hydrate.  An  alcoholic  solution  of  the  resin  was  not  affected 
by  ferric  chloride. 
When  fused  with  potassium  hydrate,  a  brownish  mass  was  formed, 
a  portion  of  which  was  soluble  in  water,  and  the  insoluble  portion 
dissolved  in  glycerin  on  warming.  On  acidulating  the  aqueous  solu- 
tion with  diluted  sulphuric  acid,  agitating  with  ether,  decanting  the 
ethereal  layer,  and  allowing  the  same  to  evaporate  spontaneously, 
the  residue,  when  dissolved  in  water,  gave  a  clear  colorless  liquid, 
which  decolorized  an  acid  solution  of  potassium  permanganate.  It 
was  further  tested  with  solutions  of  ferric  chloride,  ferrous  sulphate, 
and  silver  nitrate,  but  its  identity  with  the  di-acid  phenols  could  not 
be  established. 
THE  UNITED  STATES  PH ARM ACOPCEI A  OF  1890. 
By  George  M.  Beringer,  A.M.,  Ph.G. 
The  appearance  of  the  seventh  decennial  revision  of  the  Pharma- 
copoeia of  the  United  States  has  been  patiently  awaited  by  the 
pharmacists  of  America.  The  labors  of  the  committee,  extending 
over  a  period  of  more  than  three  years,  suggested  the  hope  that 
the  present  revision  would  be  perfect.  The  committee  cannot  be 
accused  of  hastily  completing  their  work  and  the  product,  a  book 
of  over  six  hundred  pages,  gives  evidence  throughout  of  the  desire 
to  make  this  the  most  scientific  of  all  the  national  pharmacopoeias. 
The  acknowledged  talent  of  the  gentlemen  composing  the  commit- 
