338 
Father  of  American  Pharmacy. 
Am.  Jour,  Pharm. 
July,  1903. 
nates  it  as  possibly  being  strychnine.  We  must  not,  however, 
forget  that  it  is  frequently  impossible  to  purify  strychnine  to  such 
an  extent  as  to  produce  an  absolutely  colorless  solution  in  sulphuric 
acid,  and,  if  the  remaining  portion  of  the  color  reactions  would 
develop  properly,  the  chemist  might  conclude  that  he  was  justified 
in  calling  it  strychnine.  It  should  be  stated  here  that  when  strych- 
nine, dissolved  in  sulphuric  acid,  is  treated  with  a  fragment  of 
potassium  bichromate,  a  violet-blue  streak  follows  the  crystal,  as  it 
is  moved  about,  whether  the  moving  is  slow  or  rapid,  but  the  color 
is  transient  and  changes  slowly  to  orange.  When  a  mixture  of 
morphine  and  hydrastine  is  similarly  treated,  a  greenish-yellow 
streak  at  first  results,  changing  rapidly  to  purplish-violet,  and  finally 
a  dirty  chrome-green  results.  The  shades  of  color  produced  with 
strychnine  and  morphine-hydrastine  are  not  identical,  but  resemble 
one  another  so  closely  that  it  would  be  difficult  to  describe  them  so 
as  to  give  a  definite  idea  of  their  differences. 
Recently1  A.  H.  Allen  and  G.  E.  Scott-Smith  reported  that  the 
mixed  alkaloids,  as  ordinarily  removed  from  liquid  extract  of 
ipecac,  gave  color  reactions  similar  to  those  obtained  from  opium 
bases.  How  many  cases  of  this  kind  will  be  met  in  the  future  no 
one  will  venture  to  predict. 
In  view  of  what  has  been  said  above,  and  the  fact  that  many  of 
the  color  reactions  proposed  from  time  to  time  are  short-lived,  it 
behooves  us  to  use  them  with  the  greatest  circumspection;  calling 
to  our  aid  every  possible  assistance,  such  as  the  microscope  and 
physiological  tests. 
THE  FATHER  OF  AMERICAN  PHARMACY. 
By  John  F.  Hancock. 
There  have  been,  and  are  now,  many  distinguished  pharmacists 
in  America,  but  the  above  title,  won  by  the  late  Prof.  Wm.  Procter, 
Jr.,  has  never  been  disputed ;  and  for  some  time  past  it  has  been 
the  purpose  of  those  who  have  known  him,  both  personally  and 
through  his  works,  to  give  him  appropriate  honor.  Several  meth- 
ods have  been  suggested  to  give  expression  to  that  respect  in 
which  we  all  hold  him,  and  while  all  have  been  well  intentioned 
and  sincere,  it  seems  proper  that  we  should  be  selective  in  the  trib- 
ute that  we  would  employ,  and  above  all  bestow  that  which  is  fittest. 
1i902,  Analyst,  27,  345- 
