^pTimbe^o™'}    American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  431 
adulteration.  The  author  submitted  the  following  sample  tests  for 
the  benefit  of  retail  pharmacists. 
(1)  Place  half  an  ounce  of  the  oil  in  a  test  tube  and  allow  to  stand 
in  shaved  ice  for  two  hours.  A  pure  non-freezing  oil  should  remain 
perfectly  clear. 
(2)  Boil  one  fluid  drachm  of  the  oil  with  half  an  ounce  of  a  5  per 
cent,  solution  of  caustic  potash  in  alcohol  until  the  solution  is  clear. 
Dilute  with  two  ounces  of  water  and  heat  until  the  alcohol  is  expelled. 
Then  add  an  excess  of  hydrochloric  acid  and  note  the  odor  of  the  fatty 
acids.  A  strong  herring-like  odor  or  a  bad  smelling  liquid  indicates 
adulteration  with  seal  or  other  oils.  A  faint  herring  odor  may  be 
disregarded.  Pure  cod-liver  oil  usually  yields  a  soap  and  fatty  acids 
of  a  fishy  smell,  with  no  bad  odor. 
(3)  Place  twenty  drops  of  the  oil  on  a  watch  glass  and  add  five 
drops  of  strong  nitric  acid.  Stir  well  and  note  the  color.  Pure  cod- 
liver  oil  gives  a  beautiful  rose  red  color  which  changes  in  about  halt 
an  hour  to  lemon  yellow.  A  dirty  brown  or  blackish  mixture 
indicates  adulteration  with  other  oils. 
A  large  number  of  analytical  data  and  important  bibliographical 
references  accompanied  the  paper. 
The  Physiological  Assay  of  Cannabis  Indica. 
By  L.  W.  Famulener  and  A.  B.  Lyons. 
The  authors  contend  that  cannabis  indica  preparations  can  be 
standardized  by  physiological  assay  but  not  by  chemical  methods. 
They  also  found  that  the  official  fluid  extract,  extract  and  tincture 
alone  retained  their  medicinal  activity,  while  all  preparations  of  the 
drug  in  the  form  of  powders  soon  became  inactive. 
Descriptions  of  Crude  Drugs. 
By  L.  E.  Sayre. 
The  author  illustrated  the  inaccuracy  in  the  description  of  drugs 
depending  upon  gross  characteristics  as  size,  color,  etc.,  and 
hoped  that  the  information  obtained  from  a  histological  study  of 
drugs  would  be  utilized  in  the  identification  of  crude  drugs.  H. 
H.  Rusby  said  that  there  were  greater  differences  between  the 
cellular  elements  of  the  different  drugs  than  their  external  character- 
istics. 
