436  American  Pharmaceutical  Association,  {^pfembe^o™" 
The  Action  of  Oxidizing  Agents,  Particularly  Potassium 
Permanganate  and  Iodic  Acid,  Upon  Morphine. 
By  C.  W.  Johnson. 
Keeping  in  view  the  constitution  of  morphine  as  adopted  by 
Knorr  and  others,  the  author  has  undertaken  an  experimental  study 
of  certain  of  its  oxidation  reactions  in  order  to  determine  the  chemi- 
cal character  and  composition  of  the  oxidation  products,  or  any  of 
them,  and  the  limits  which  govern  their  formation. 
These  reactions  of  oxidation  occur  in  the  operation  of  an  import- 
ant antidote  for  morphine  and  in  color  tests  necessary  to  the  identi- 
fication of  the  alkaloid.  The  decisive  reactions  of  morphine, 
especially  in  the  formation  of  color  compounds,  would  seem  to 
promise  a  possible  discovery  of  individual  products  throwing  some 
light  on  its  chemical  composition. 
This  has  consequently  been  one  of  the  objects  of  the  investigation. 
In  establishing  fixed  limits  for  the  reactions  of  oxidation,  the 
immediate  object  has  been  to  obtain  the  advantage  of  a  knowledge 
of  these  limits  in  the  use  of  oxidation  antidotes,  and  in  the  analytical 
tests  of  identification. 
Resin  of  Podophyllum  U.  S.  P.  or  Podophyllin. 
By  Herman  J.  Lohmann. 
Inasmuch  as  resin  of  podophyllum  is  not  found  in  the  fresh  drug, 
developing  apparently  by  reaction  among  the  constituents  of 
the  drug  during  seasoning  of  two  years,  and  as  the  drug  collected 
before  blossoming  produces  the  greatest  yield,  it  would  be  well 
for  the  U.  S.  P.  to  specify  these  conditions  in  connection  with 
podophyllum. 
Furthermore,  as  the  yellowish-green  or  greenish-yellow  resin 
of  podophyllum  does  not  comply  with  the  tests  prescribed,  and  the 
light-brown  resin  does  comply  with  the  tests ;  the  descriptive 
terms,  u  yellowish-green  or  greenish-yellow,"  should  be  eliminated 
from  the  U.  S.  P. 
It  is  only  fair  to  state  that  an  aluminum  salt  is  part  of  the  resin 
which  offers  resistance  to  the  solvents.  The  author  finally 
admonishes  against  the  use  of  the  yellow  resin  of  podophyllum. 
