Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1899. 
Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy 
345 
devised  a  very  simple  method  that  proved  very  satisfactory  in  their 
hands.  The  underlying  principle  of  the  method  is  that  liquids  show 
the  phenomenon  of  capillarity,  while  solids  do  not.  The  melting- 
point  is  determined  in  the  following  manner  {see  Fig.  i) :  Into  a 
thin-walled  tube,  A,  closed  at  one  end,  place  a  fine  capillary  tube,  B, 
open  at  both  ends,  then  small  particles  of  the  substance  under  exam- 
ination are  placed  into  the  outer  tube,  so  that  the  lower  end  of  the 
capillary  tube  is  well  surrounded  by  it.  The  whole  is  then  attached 
to  a  thermometer  by  means  of  two  rubber  bands,  CC,  and  then  placed 
into  a  suitable  medium,  which  is  slowly  heated  and  carefully  stirred. 
The  temperature  at  which  the  liquid  is  seen  to  rise  in  the  capillary 
tube  is  taken  as  the  melting-point  of  the  fat.  The  usual  precau- 
tions for  taking  melting-points  must  be  observed. — 1898,  your.  Soc, 
Chem.  Ind. 
T 
L.  F.  Kebler. 
r 
/ 
Fig.  i. 
Fig.  2. 
APPARATUS  FOR  DETERMINING  MELTING-POINTS. 
L.  N.  Vandevyver,  1898,  Ann.  CJiim.  anal,  appl,  ij,  397;  from 
Jour.  Soc.  Chem.  Ind.t  1899,  18,  298.    (Fig.  2.) 
In  this  apparatus  a  wire  rod  is  provided  with  a  mirror,  M,  fixed 
at  an  angle  of  1 3  5  °,  and  two  rings,  one,  C,  which  is  fixed,  and  the 
other,  D,  which  is  movable.    Between  these  two  rings  is  clamped 
