Amsijt.?if8h6arm'}       Salicylic  Acid  and  Monad  Salts.  •  423 
radiate  uniformly  from  the  common  center  of  the  system.  The 
Pharmacopoeia  states  that  sodium  salicylate  occurs  in  small  crystalline 
plates.  This  is  entirely  wrong  as  there  is  not  the  slightest  tendency  to 
plated  formation.  Under  insufficient  powers  of  the  microscope  the 
rounded  groups  have  such  an  appearance,  but  higher  powers  resolve 
"them  as  already  stated. 
The  writer  believes  that  the  descriptive  paragraphs  of  the  Pharma- 
copoeia are  a  most  valuable  feature.  It  is,  however,  the  writer's 
opinion  that  ocular  demonstration  is  worth  pages  of  definitions  never 
so  vividly  realistic.  Much  energy  and  valuable  space  was  devoted  to 
the  voluminous  but  comparatively  useless  tables  in  the  Pharmacopoeia. 
But  it  does  appear  that  it  would  be  entirely  consonant  with  the  pur- 
poses of  the  code  to  institute  the  most  appropriate  means  of  elevating 
its  standards.  It  therefore  seems  that  a  profusion  of  well  executed 
representations  would  be  an  admirable,  most  simple  and  yet  highly  ef- 
fective supplement  to  the  official'  pharmacognosy.  Such  an  element 
would  raise  the  microscope  in  pharmacy  into  conspicuous  prominence. 
Furthermore,  this  feature,  if  appropriately  immanent,  would  largely  tend 
~to  develop  the  close  scrutiny,  cleanliness  and  care  so  essential  in  the 
business  of  pharmacy.  .There  is  no  reason  why  every  drug  store 
should  not  be  equipped  with  an  effective  microscope.  The  money 
-annually  paid  for  senseless  luxuries  would  purchase  every  pharmacist 
.a  very  serviceable  instrument  of  this  kind. 
SODIUM  ACETATE. 
Sodium  acetate  is  more  definite  and  less  changeable  than  the  potassic 
salt.  It  therefore  offers  better  opportunities  in  arriving  at  more  de- 
cided conclusions.  Aside  from  this,  the  result  is  analogous  to  that 
with  potassium  acetate,  and  the  reaction  is  precisely  similar,  as 
follows : 
3(NaAc)+2(HSl)-=2(NaSl)+NaAc(HAc)2. 
The  solution  evaporated  on  a  slide  yields  large  but  coarse  radial 
groups  which  do  not  improve  under  the  microscope. 
SODIUM  CITEATE. 
Normal  sodium  citrate  reacts  with  salicylic  acid  on  the  same  prin- 
ciple as  the  potassium  salt.  Since,  in  this  case  also,  but  half  rather 
than  two-thirds  of  the  base  is  replaced,  the  writer  employed  disodic 
citrate  with  a  view  to  elucidate  the  general  reaction.    In  this  instance 
