^pSerS'}    British  Pharmaceutical  Conference.  463 
formed  with  the  ferrous  oxide  (FeO)  frequently  present  in  black  samples,  such 
as  Y,  ferrous  sulphate,  and  so  tended  to  give  a  higher  reading  than  the  correct 
one.  On  the  other  hand,  in  the  mercuric  chloride  method,  the  presence  of 
mercurous  chloride  may  have  a  deterrent  effect  upon  the  oxidizing  action  of 
mercuric  chloride  upon  the  free  iron  present,  and  so  tend  to  lower  the  reading. 
NOTES  ON  "  CONCENTRATED  OIL  OF  LEMON." 
By  T.  H.  W.  Idris. 
According  to  the  author,  "  concentrated  oil  of  lemon  "  is  a  misnomer,  as  the 
terpene  of  the  ordinary  oil  has  a  flavor  and  pungency  which  are  peculiar  to 
itself.  Some  "concentrated  soluble  essence  of  lemon  "  has  been  found  to 
consist  simply  of  oil  of  lemon  to  which  alcohol  has  been  added.  Other  samples 
contain  added  lemon-grass  oil  or  citral,  or  an  admixture  of  ethers  with  the  oils 
of  lime  and  orange.  Such  mixtures  are  of  but  little  value  to  mineral  water 
manufacturers,  but  "  terpeneless  "  oils  are  of  decided  utility.  Those  oils  differ 
considerably,  however,  and  the  author  of  this  paper  shows  how  the  aldehydes 
in  oil  of  lemon  can  be  separated  without  much  change  and  in  a  state  of  com- 
parative purity  by  fractional  distillation  under  reduced  pressure.  After  distill- 
ing off  about  90  per  cent,  below  ioo°  C,  an  oily  liquid  is  left,  which  deposits  a 
white  sediment  on  cooling.  By  passing  steam  through  this  residue,  a  pale  yel" 
low  oil  is  carried  over,  which  possesses,  to  a  very  marked  degree,  the  pure 
lemon  aroma  and  is  very  different  from  citral. 
THE  GALENICAL  PHARMACY  OF  THE  189S  PHARMACOPOEIA. 
By  F.  C.  J.  Bird. 
The  author  gives  a  cursory  glance  at  the  more  important  classes  of  galenicals 
of  the  new  B.P.,  and  indicates  the  direction  in  which  they  have  been  affected 
by  official  alterations.  The  paper  is  an  extremely  useful  contribution  to  the 
literature  of  the  subject  of  which  it  treats,  and  seeks  to  elicit  the  experience 
and  views  of  other  workers  from  the  practical  retail  pharmacist's  standpoint, 
and  will  serve  as  an  excellent  introduction  to  the  general  discussion  of  the  new 
British  Pharmacopoeia.  Under  extracts  Mr.  Bird  states  that  the  new  and  al- 
tered extracts  are,  on  the  whole,  a  greatly  improved  class  of  preparations. 
Marked  improvements  are  noted  in  the  following  liquid  extracts  :  Cascara 
sagrada,  Belladonna,  Glycyrrhiza,  etc.  The  more  frequent  instruction  to 
"evaporate  to  dryness,"  and  the  introduction  of  extracts  reduced  to  powder 
with  sugar  of  milk,  is  noted  as  a  distinct  advance  in  the  direction  of  uniformity, 
for,  in  these  cases,  the  operator  is  now  relieved  of  all  doubt  as  to  the  meaning 
of  such  indefinite  expressions  as  "suitable  consistence,"  "consistence  for 
forming  pills,"  "soft  extract,"  etc.,  which  were  of  common  occurrence  in  the 
last  Pharmacopoeia. 
The  insertion  of  liquors  marks  a  change  in  the  official  attitude  which,  by 
many,  has  long  been  regarded  as  inevitable,  for  they  are  introduced  as  the 
result  of  many  experiments  made  with  the  object  of  preparing  decoctions  and 
infusions  in  a  highly  concentrated  state,  which  should  resemble  the  liquids 
termed  by  manufacturers  "  concentrated  infusions  and  decoctions."  The 
methods  given  for  the  preparation  of  these  liquors,  although  perhaps  not  so 
perfect  as  those  followed  commercially  in  the  manufacture  of  concentrated  in 
