Amo2turi£frm'}  Revision  of  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia.  469 
alcohol,  chloroform  and  ammonia  is  purified  by  conversion  into  sul- 
phate. The  filtered  solution  rendered  alkaline  by  potassa,  is  extracted 
with  chloroform.  The  evaporated  chloroformic  solution,  dried  and 
weighed  gives  the  total  alkaloids.  For  determining  the  percentage 
of  quinine,  the  purified  chloroformic  solution,  from  5  grm.  of  bark  is 
evaporated  on  powdered  glass  and  then  extracted  by  slow  percolation 
with  ether  until  10  cc.  of  percolate  is  obtained,  this  is  evaporated 
and  weighed.  The  percolation  with  ether  is  continued  until  another 
10  cc.  is  obtained  and  this  is  likewise  evaporated  and  weighed. 
The  weight  of  the  second  deducted  from  the  weight  of  the  first  por- 
tion and  the  result  is  assumed  to  give  approximately  the  weight  of 
quinine,  and  multiplied  by  twenty,  the  percentage. 
For  the  assay  of  extract  of  nux  vomica,  the  following  process  is 
adopted:  2  grm.  of  the  extract  dried  at  ioo°  C.  is  treated  with  a 
mixture  of  alcohol  and  water  and  water  of  ammonia  and  the  alkaline 
liquid  is  extracted  with  chloroform.  The  chloroformic  solution  is 
evaporated  and  the  residue  extracted  with  10  cc.  j~  sulphuric 
acid  and  hot  water  and  then  titrated  with  T^  potassic  hydrate 
solution  using  Brazil  wood  solution  as  an  indicator.  The  number 
of  cc.  of  the  y^j-  sulphuric  acid  found  to  have  been  neutralized  by 
the  alkaloid,  multiplied  by  the  factor  1-82,  gives  the  percentage  of 
the  total  alkaloid.  A.  H.  Allen  has  recommended  methyl  orange 
as  the  indicator  in  strychnine  titration.  The  process  should  direct 
distilled  water,  as  the  degree  of  hardness  of  natural  water,  would 
materially  affect  the  results  in  such  delicate  determinations. 
The  descriptions  of  the  official  chemicals  and  many  of  the  vege- 
table products,  are  accompanied  by  copious  tests  for  identification 
and  determination  of  purity  and  in  this  respect  very  little  more 
could  be  desired,  and  in  many  cases  the  requirements  are  too  strin- 
gent for  medicinal  chemicals. 
Ninety-two  articles  have  been  dismissed  from  the  Pharmacopoeia. 
The  list  published  on  pages  XLIX  and  L  contains  but  ninety  titles 
but  we  suppose  that  tinctura  ferri  acetatis  and  vinum  aromaticum 
were  dismissed  and  not  inadvertently  omitted.  It  is  significant  of 
the  present  tendency  of  medication  towards  the  use  of  chemical 
remedies  that  of  these,  twenty-seven  were  of  vegetable  origin  and 
but  thirteen  of  chemical  derivation,  and  of  the  latter  aether,  chloro 
formum  venale  and  sodii  bicarbonatis  venale  represent  but  titles  as 
the  purified  products  remain.    The  same  may  be  said  of  the  title 
