Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ") 
March,  1915.  J 
Current  Literature. 
143 
to  the  mere  question  of  bookkeeping  and  income  and  outgo.  We 
are  all  interested,  and  you  are  particularly  interested,  in  legislation 
tending  to  restrict  the  use  of  noxious  drugs.  Here  is  a  line  of  en- 
deavor that,  of  course,  -should  be  absolutely  divorced  from  the 
business  end  of  the  work.  Here  is  a  question  that  appeals  to  you 
as  professional  men  and  as  men  who  desire  to  adapt  your  profession 
to  the  best  interest  of  your  brothers  and  your  sisters,  and  any  attempt, 
I  fear,  to  connect  this  kind  of  legislation  with  the  business  end  of  the 
pharmacist's  occupation  and  profession  would  tend  to  detract  from 
the  high  professional  standard  that  the  apothecary  has  always  had, 
and  that  the  modern  pharmacist  should  endeai-or  to  maintain.  I  am 
not  a  pharmacist,  but  a  mere  observer.  I  have  spoken  simply  as  a 
layman  in  a  general  way.  My  purpose  in  coming  here  was  not  to 
deliver  a  lecture.  I  could  not  hope  to  impart  advice  to  men  and 
women  like  yourselves  avIio  have  studied  the  subject  for  years,  but  I 
may  in  a  way  represent  the  layman  who  looks  upon  the  pharmacist 
as  the  majority  of  laymen  do — who  wishes  him  Avell  and  desires  to  see 
the  time-honored  and  highly-respected  profession  maintain  all  that 
is  good  in  it,  and  push  on  to  higher  and  better  results.  I  welcome  this 
body  here  this  morning.  I  repeat  my  greetings;  I  trust  that  you 
will  accomplish  much  for  yourselves  and  much  for  the  benefit  of 
your  profession  throughout  the  State  and  country." 
New  Beta-xaphthol  Reactiox. 
It  has  been  observed  that  a  fairly  well-diluted  solution  of  beta- 
naphthol  in  the  presence  of  a  relatively  small  quantity  of  nitrite 
gives  a  beautiful  red-violet  or  red  color.  The  reaction,  which  is 
stated  to  be  useful  for  the  detection  of  beta-naphthol  in  foodstuffs^ 
is  carried  out  as  follows :  A  few  drops  of  concentrated  sulphuric 
acid  are  added  to  i  c.c.  of  diluted  beta-naphthol  solution,  and  to 
this  is  added  0.05  c.c.  of  a  0.01  per  cent,  solution  of  sodium  nitrite, 
when  the  above  coloration  is  obtained.  The  reaction  is  sensitive  in 
a  solution  containing  0.0002  per  cent,  of  beta-naphthol.  The  colora- 
tion is  supposedly  due  to  a  quinonoid  derivative  of  beta-naphthol 
— The  Chemist  and  Druggist,  Dec.  19 14,  p.  45. 
Digestive  Enzymes. 
The  Journal  of  the  A.  M.  A.  comments  on  a  recent  bulletin  of 
the  Bureau  of  Chemistry  which  speaks  of  the  importance  of  deter- 
mining exactly  the  activity  af  digestive  enzymes  and  ferments.  The 
