Am(u^"t*  55™"}    Chemistry  of  British  Pharmacopoeia.  371 
although  in  the  assay  method  it  is  required  to  show  a  saponification 
figure  "  corresponding  to  not  less  than  99.5  per  cent,  by  weight  of 
esters  calculated  as  ethyl  chloride." 
Ferri  et  Potassii  Tartras  is  the  newly-adopted  name  for  the  article 
formerly  official  as  ferrum  tartaratum.  It  is  assayed  by  incinerating 
to  ferric  oxide,  of  which  the  yield  should  be  not  less  than  30  per  cent, 
by  weight. 
Ferri  Phosphas  Saccharatus  is  the  title  of  a  new  preparation 
defined  as  "ferrous  phosphate  more  or  less  oxidized,  mixed  with 
glucose  and  containing  not  less  than  60  per  cent,  of  ferrous  salts, 
calculated  as  F33(P04)28H20."  It  is  described  as  "a  slate-blue, 
amorphous  powder,  taste  sweetish  and  chalybeate." 
Glucosum,  used  in  the  foregoing  preparation  and  also  in  syrup 
of  ferrous  iodide,  to  retard  oxidation,  and  in  a  syrup  of  glucose,  is 
defined  as  "  a  mixture  of  dextrose  and  other  analogous  substances 
obtained  by  the  hydrolysis  of  starch."  It  is  permitted  to  contain 
about  0.1  per  cent,  of  sulphur  dioxide,  an  amount  far  in  excess  of 
that  found  in  American  glucose  at  the  present  time. 
Guaiacol  and  Guaiacol  Carbonate  are  both  described  for  the  first 
time,  and  products  of  either  natural  or  synthetic  origin  are  permitted. 
Hexamina  is  the  title  of  hexamethylenetetramine,  which  is  re- 
quired to  be  of  98  per  cent,  purity,  a  method  of  assay  being  given. 
The  title  of  Hydrargyri  Oleas  is  changed  to  Hydrargyrum  Olea- 
ium,  and  instead  of  being  made  by  double  decomposition  and  pre- 
cipitation of  hard  soap  solution  with  solution  of  mercuric  chloride, 
as  was  formerly  the  case,  it  is  now  made  by  direct  combination  be- 
tween yellow  mercuric  oxide  and  oleic  acid.  The  product  is  now  not 
so  much  a  chemical  compound  as  a  pharmaceutical  preparation,  which 
probably  accounts  for  the  change  in  the  title. 
Liquor  Formaldehydi  is  now  official  and  is  required  to  be  of  from 
38  per  cent,  to  40  per  cent,  strength,  weight  in  volume.  It  is  used 
in  preparing  liquor  formaldehydi  saponatus,  which  contains  20  per 
cent,  by  volume  of  solution  of  formaldehyde  in  a  solution  containing 
40  per  cent,  by  weight  of  soft  soap  and  30  per  cent,  of  90  per  cent, 
alcohol.  The  official  soft  soap  of  the  British  Pharmacopoeia  is  an 
olive  oil-potash  soap. 
Methyl  Salicylate  is  now  recognized  and  is  required  to  contain 
98  per  cent,  of  CH3C7H5Oo.  Oil  of  gaultheria  is  also  recognized 
under  its  own  title,  and  is  defined  as  "  the  oil  distilled  from  the  leaves 
of  Gaultheria.  procumbens  or  from  the  bark  of  Betula  lenta!' 
