136 
Analysis  of  Licorice  Mass. 
An.  Jour.  Pharm. 
March ,  1898. 
METHOD  OF  ANALYSIS  OF  LICORICE  MASS. 
By  Alfred  Mew>r. 
At  the  December  Pharmaceutical  Meeting  of  the  College,  the 
question  of  a  method  for  assaying  licorice  extract  was  raised.  It 
was  stated  that  very  little  on  the  subject  had  been  published.  The 
following  process  has  been  adopted  by  the  large  consumers  and 
manufacturers  in  the  United  States. 
(1)  Moisture. — Expose  about  two  grammes  of  the  mass  in  a  plati- 
num or  porcelain  crucible  in  a  water  oven  until  hardened.  Then 
divide  the  dry  residue  in  small  pieces  with  a  penknife,  heat  again 
until  constant  weight. 
(2)  Mineral  Matter. — Place  the  same  crucible,  with  mass  as  above, 
over  a  Bunsen  burner  until  the  ashes  are  white. 
(3)  Insoluble  Substance. — Dissolve  5  grammes  of  the  mass  in  100 
c.c.  of  distilled  water  (ioo°  C.)  and  decant,  after  twelve  hours,  the 
supernatant  solution  from  the  sediment  through  a  dried  and  weighed 
filter,  also  collect  sediment  on  same  by  using  cold  water  in  rinsing 
the  beaker.  A  further  sediment  is  noticed  in  the  filtrate  after 
another  twelve  hours'  subsidence,  because  traces  of  starch  unavoid- 
ably pass  through  the  filter,  which  is  treated  as  above  and  collected 
on  a  second  filter.  These  two  quantities  shall  be  the  insoluble  sub- 
stance. 
(4)  Gummy  Matter. — Dissolve  5  grammes  of  the  mass  in  a  beaker 
with  50  c.c.  of  distilled  water  (ioo°  C).  When  completely  dissolved, 
pour  on  100  c.c.  of  alcohol  (95  per  cent.),  and  vigorously  stir. 
Allow  to  subside  over  night,  filter  the  precipitate  on  a  dried  and 
weighed  filter,  and  wash  the  residue  with  a  mixture  of  two  parts 
alcohol  (95  per  cent.),  and  1  part  of  water  until  the  filtrate  passes 
colorless.  By  drying  the  residue  in  a  water  oven  and  weighing,  the 
combined  percentages  of  insoluble  substance  and  gummy  matter 
are  obtained.  On  deducting  the  percentage  of  the  insoluble  sub- 
stance (No.  3)  from  this,  the  percentage  of  gummy  matter  is  deter- 
mined. 
(5)  Glycyrrhizin. — Concentrate  the  alcoholic  filtrate  from  the 
foregoing  residue  (insoluble  substance  and  gummy  matter)  to  the 
volume  of  30  c.c.  and  transfer  to  a  tared  beaker  by  using  about 
20  c.c.  of  water.  Add  12  drops  of  sulphuric  acid  previously  di- 
luted with  5  c.c.  of  water,  while  stirring,  to  precipitate  the  glycyr- 
