AFebiuaryTi899m'}    Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  85 
ASSAY  OF  IODINE  IN  THE  IODIDES  OF  BISMUTH. 
O.  Spindler  {Suddeutsch.  Apoth.  Zeit.,  1898,  604)  proceeds  as 
follows : 
A  definite  weight  of  the  chemical  is  placed  in  a  separatory  funnel, 
is  shaken  with  a  little  water  and  is  treated  with  a  strong  solution 
of  ferric  chloride,  which  precipitates  the  iodine  and  dissolves  the 
bismuth. 
The  iodine  is  shaken  out  with  chloroform,  the  separated  chloro- 
form solution  repeatedly  washed  with  water  to  remove  traces  of  the 
chlorides  of  bismuth  and  iron  that  may  have  been  carried  over 
(care  being  used  to  avoid  evaporation  of  iodine),  after  which  an 
aqueous  solution  of  potassium  iodide  is  added  and  the  liquid  titrated 
with  decinormal  hyposulphite  solution. 
By  this  method  he  finds  the  commercial  brick-red  bismuth  oxy- 
iodide  averages  24  per  cent,  iodine,  while  the  theoretical  iodine 
strength  of  BiOI  is  35-2  per  cent. 
H.  V.  A. 
TESTS  FOR  GUM  RESINS,  RESINS  AND  BALSAMS. 
K.  Dieterich  presents  in  the  Pharm.  Centralh.,  1898,  Nos.  19,  20 
and  21,  an  extended  list  of  tests  for  the  leading  officials  of  the  class 
mentioned  above.  The  length  of  articles  forbids  more  than  a  brief 
enumeration  of  their  most  salient  points,  and  the  reader  is  referred 
to  the  original  for  details. 
Ammoniac  and  Galbanum. — Green  fluorescence  produced,  on 
saturating  with  ammonia,  concentrated  hydrochloric  acid  which  has 
been  treated  with  the  gum  resins. 
Not  more  than  50  per  cent,  is  insoluble  in  alcohol.  Maximum 
ash,  10  per  cent. 
Asafetida  and  Euphorbium. — Not  more  than  50  per  cent,  is  in- 
soluble in  alcohol  (U.S.P.  for  asafetida  says  40  per  cent.).  Maxi- 
mum ash,  10  per  cent. 
Jolu. — 1  gramme  in  alcoholic  solution  titrated  with  ^  normal  alco- 
holic potassa  should  require  20  to  28  c.c.  of  latter  for  neutralization 
(corresponding  to  acid  number  112  to  115). 
Benzoin. — No  odor  of  bitter  almond  is  developed  on  heating  with 
permanganate  solution.  Not  more  than  1  per  cent,  insoluble  in 
alcohol. 
Resin. — 1  gramme  dissolved  in  25  c.c.  y2  normal  alcoholic  potassa 
