Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Nov.,  1884. 
Laboratory  Notes. 
571 
Stigmata  Maydis  have  been  examined  by  John  M.  Hillan.  He 
found  fresh  corn  silk  to  contain  83'3  per  cent,  of  moisture,  and  the 
well  dried  drug  to  reabsorb  water  from  the  atmosphere  quite  readily. 
Dry  corn  silk  yielded  12*5  per  cent,  of  ash  containing  carbonates, 
chlorides,  phosphates  and  sulphates  of  potassium,  magnesium  and 
calcium,  alumina  and  silica.  Benzol  extracted  2  per  cent.,  the  extract 
having  a  brown  color  and  containing  fixed  oil  and  resin.  Alcohol  of 
80  per  cent,  yielded  26*05  per  cent,  of  extract,  containing  tannin  and 
chlorophyll,  and  water  subsequently  dissolved  2*25  percent,  of  extrac- 
tive. Sugar  was  found  in  green,  but  not  in  dried  corn  silk.  Distillation 
with  water  did  not  yield  a  volatile  oil ;  on  distilling  with  potassa,  an 
alkaline  liquid  was  obtained,  which  on  being  evaporated  with  acetic 
acid  yielded  crystals,  and  the  solution  of  which  was  precipitated  by 
iodine  and  by  Mayer's  solution. 
Fluid  Extract  of  Corn  Silk. — J..  M.  Hillan  prepared  a  fluid  extract 
by  M.  Kennedy's  formula  ("  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1883,  p.  243),  and 
found  it  to  occasion  a  precipitate.  Made  from  the  dried  corn  silk  by 
the  same  process,  the  preparation  was  permanent;  but  the  author  re- 
commends to  increase  the  glycerin,  using  for  100  Gm.  of  dry  corn  silk 
25  Gm.  of  glycerin  and  sufficient  diluted  alcohol  to  obtain  100  Ccm.  of 
fluid  extract. 
C.  H.  Oberholtzer  observed  that  the  fluid  extract  prepared  by  Mr. 
Kennedy's  formula  would  ferment  (?)  and  recommends  as  a  menstruum 
a  mixture  composed  of  two  parts  of  alcohol  and  three  parts  of  water, 
using  100  Gm.  of  green  corn  silk  for  obtaining  100  Ccm.  of  fluid  extract. 
Syrup  of  Com  Silk. — J.  M.  Hillan  recommends  dissipating  the 
alcohol  by  mixing  12  parts  of  the  fluid  extract  with  65  parts  of  sugar, 
and  after  the  alcohol  has  evaporated,  adding  5  parts  of  glycerin  and 
sufficient  water  to  make  100  parts. 
C.  H.  Oberholtzer  recommends  mixing  35  parts  of  his  fluid  extract 
with  65  parts  of  simple  syrup. 
Syrupus  Myrrhm. — Abraham  L.  Ballinger  examined  several  speci- 
mens of  myrrh  and  powdered  myrrh,  and  offers  the  following  formula 
for  a  syrup : 
Take  of  Tincture  of  myrrh  ^ij 
Magnesium  carbonate  3i 
Sugar  ^xij 
Water  sufficient. 
Rub  the  tincture  with  the  magnesium  carbonate,  afterward  with 
