464  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference.     { ASepfeSbeMro& ' 
fusions,  are,  on  the  whole,  successful,  the  Liquors  Sarsae  Co.,  Senegae  and 
Ouassise  being  amongst  the  best. 
The  process  for  Spiritus  ^Etheris  Co.  involves  the  distillation  of  a  mixture  of 
alcohol  and  sulphuric  acid  at  a  high  temperature,  which  few  pharmacists  are  in 
a  position  to  do  without  risk.  In  making  Spiritus  Athens  Nitrosi,  the  defi- 
ciency of  product,  due  to  the  loss  of  nitrous  ether  in  the  old  process,  is  now 
avoided  by  placing  a  portion  of  the  alcohol  in  the  receiver  to  absorb  any 
ethereal  vapor  which  may  have  escaped  condensation. 
Mr.  Bird  does  not  share  the  regret  with  which  the  disappearance  of  proof 
spirit  has  been  viewed  in  some  quarters.  He  says  so  long  as  the  word  "  proof  " 
remained  on  the  official  page,  there  was  always  an  inducement  to  use  it  as  a 
standard  of  alcoholic  strength,  but  its  removal  has  cleared  the  way  for  the  more 
rational,  scientific  and  infinitely  more  convenient  centesimal  system  now 
happily  adopted.  Long  custom  and  daily  contact  with  the  proof  standard 
have  rendered  it  indispensable  to  the  British  Excise,  but  for  pharmaceutical 
purposes  the  new  method  of  expressing  alcoholic  strength  has  all  those  advan- 
vantages  over  the  old,  which  metric  weights  possess  when  compared  with 
avoirdupois  weights.  Keen  disappointment  has  been  felt  at  the  absence  of 
Syr.  Ferri  Phosph.  Co.  and  Syr.  Hypophosph.  Co.  These  two  syrups  are 
manufactured  in  enormous  quantities,  but  as  all  makers  do  not  follow  the 
B.P.C.  Formulary,  there  is  great  variation,  and  authoritative  processes  for  their 
preparation  were  eminently  desirable. 
The  new  and  altered  formulae  of  the  tinctures  have,  from  a  laboratory  point 
of  view,  proved  in  most  cases  entirely  satisfactory.  The  objection  that  has 
been  raised  to  the  use  of  fresh  peel  in  making  Tinctura  Aurantii,  viz.:  that 
it  can  only  be  obtained  at  a  certain  season  of  the  year  can  hardly  have  much 
weight  when  it  is  remembered  that  many  other  official  drugs  (poppy  petals, 
green  herbs,  etc.)  labor  under  the  same  disadvantage.  Among  ointments 
many  improvements  have  been  effected.  Experience  in  the  use  of  the  paraffin 
basis,  inaugurated  in  the  last  Pharmacopoeia,  has  had  its  effect  on  the  present 
formulae,  and,  generally,  they  may  all  be  said  to  be  highly  satisfactory.  The 
assay  processes  of  the  new  Pharmacopoeia  have  been  found  to  work  well  in 
the  analytical  laboratory.  The  one  for  morphine  is  now  trustworthy  and  free 
from  error. 
GREEN  EXTRACTS  OF  THE  PHARMACOPOEIA. 
By  W.  A.  H.  Naylor  and  John  J.  Bryant. 
The  authors  give  the  following  process  of  assay  of  the  green  extracts  of 
belladonna  and  hyoscyamus  :  From  2-5  grammes  of  the  extract  is  weighed 
into  a  wide-mouth  flask  (as  an  Erlenmeyer),  25  c.c.  of  90  per  cent,  alcohol 
is  added,  and  the  flask  with  its  contents  heated  on  a  water-bath  under  an 
inverted  condenser  or  other  arrangement  that  prevents  loss  of  alcohol  and 
provides  facilities  for  exhaustion.  This  operation  is  twice  repeated  with  two 
more  quantities  of  25  c.c.  of  90  per  cent,  alcohol.  After  each  operation  the 
alcoholic  solution  in  the  flask  is  allowed  to  become  cold,  and  filtered,  and  the 
filtrates  are  united. 
To  make  sure  that  extraction  of  the  alkaloidal  content  is  complete,  the  resi- 
due in  the  flask  is  warmed  with  a  5  per  cent,  solution  of  hydrochloric  acid  and 
filtered.  The  filtrate  is  then  tested  with  solution  of  iodine  in  potassium  iodide. 
Three  extractions  with  alcohol  are  sufficient  for  the  purpose. 
