Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Jan.,  1886. 
Laboratory  Notes. 
11 
well-known  drug  houses  in  different  cities,  and  without  the  knowl- 
edge of  any  one  but  myself  as  to  the  purpose  for  which  they  were  to 
be  used,  or  of  any  one  interested  as  to  when  or  from  where  they  were 
to  be  obtained.  While  exceptional  cases  may  give  different  results,  I 
am  compelled  to  believe  that  these  figures  represent  a  fair  average  of 
the  diastatic  value  of  the  respective  preparations.  It  will  be  seen 
that  neither  of  the  extracts  shows  a  uniform  action,  and,  considering 
the  difficulties  that  must  be  overcome  in  extracting  diastase,  I  am  not 
surprised  at  this  variation.  t 
The  following  are  the  results  obtained: 
Amount  of  sugar  formed  by  0-250  gram  of 
No.           Where  obtained.                   Trommer  Co. 's  Extract.  Maltine. 
1.  Baltimore                       .....        0-149  gram.  0  739  gram. 
2.  Philadelphia                                0  558   "  2-378  " 
3.  Cincinnati                                  0-317    "  3052  " 
4.  Chicago                                      0-240    "  0739  " 
Mean                                         0-318    "  1-727  " 
Baltimore,  November,  1885. 
LABORATORY  NOTES. 
Abstracts  from  Theses. 
Ammonium  Carbonate. — Four  samples  were  examined  by  Emil 
Schaible,  Ph.G.  The  solution  made  with  dilute  nitric  acid  was  tested 
with  barium  chloride  for  sulphate.  The  solution  in  acetic  acid  was 
tested  with  silver  nitrate;  a  precipitate  insoluble  in  nitric  acid  indi- 
cated chloride,  while  one  soluble  in  nitric  acid  and  turning  dark  on 
standing  was  regarded  as  indicating  hyposulphite.  The  same  solution 
tested  with  ammonium  oxalate,  showed  the  absence  of  calcium  salt, 
and  the  solution  in  dilute  hydrochloric  acid,  saturated  with  sul- 
phuretted hydrogen,  showed  the  absence  of  heavy  metals,  while  on 
the  subsequent  addition  of  ammonia  and  ammonium  sulphide,  No.  4 
only  yielded  a  precipitate  of  iron.  Empyreumatic  substances  were 
tested  for  by  sulphuric  acid  and  potassium  permanganate.  The 
results  were  as  follows : 
Insoluble  in       Sulphate.  Chloride.      Hypo-       Empy-  Carbonate, 
alcohol.  sulphite,    reumatic  volumetric 
substances,  estimation. 
No.  1       3    percent.  17  per  cent.    Trace.  Trace.  91'9  per  cent. 
No.  2       27     "  1-0     "    ,  1  per  cent.      92'2  " 
No.  3       2-3     "  1-5     "      Trace.  91'6  " 
No.  4       2-0     "  0-9     "    Trace.  Trace.  937  " 
