i68 
Phenol  Sodiqite. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Ph.arm 
\       April,  1890. 
pensatory  clinches  the  officinal  requirements  by  the  statement  that 
"  care  should  be  especially  taken  to  use  pure  grain  musk  in  this 
preparation." 
It  is  charged  that  the  amount  of  menstruum  used  is  not  sufficient 
to  exhaust  the  musk,  and  the  process  is  consequently  extravagant 
and  wasteful  of  this  most  expensive  drug. 
The  following  simple  experiments  proved  this  statement :  I  gm. 
of  musk,  treated  by  the  officinal  process,  yielded  20  per  cent,  of 
extractive.  The  residue,  again  treated  with  the  same  amount  of 
menstruum,  yielded  quite  a  strong  tincture,  containing  over  6  per 
cent,  of  extractive,  and  a  third  maceration  yielded  a  tincture  still 
containing  a  considerable  amount  of  odorous  matter. 
The  German  Pharmacopoeia  is  content  with  a  tincture  of  musk, 
containing  two  per  cent,  of  musk  and  extracted  with  a  somewhat 
weaker  alcoholic  menstruum.  One  grm.  of  musk  extracted  by  this 
process  yielded  30  per  cent,  of  extractive  and  a  second  maceration, 
with  10  cc.  diluted  alcohol,  yielded  2  per  cent. 
I  doubt  if  any  amount  of  menstruum  that  could  be  ordered  in  an 
officinal  formula  would  entirely  exhaust  the  musk.  The  perfumer 
who  makes  his  tincture  with  strong  alcohol,  is  well  aware  of  this 
fact  and  always  macerates  the  residue  from  his  tincture  with  fresh 
alcohol,  frequently  saving  the  dregs  for  remaceration  a  number  of 
times. 
I  would  suggest  that  in  the  pharmacopoeial  revision  a  strength 
of  eight  grains  to  the  fluid  ounce,  with  diluted  alcohol  as  a  men- 
struum, be  adopted,  which  yields  a  tincture  nearly  identical  in 
strength  with  that  of  the  German  Pharmacopoeia. 
PHENOL  SODIQUE. 
By  George  M.  Beringer,  Ph.G. 
Read  before  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  at  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting, 
March  18. 
A  brother  pharmacist  recently  called  my  attention  to  the  fact, 
that  the  National  Formulary  published  under  this  title  the  following 
formula  : 
Carbolic  acid,  crystallized,  3°  parts. 
Soda,   .     2  " 
Water,   28  " 
