510  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  {Am,o3!?i88£arm' 
the  various  methods  which  have  been  recommended,  the  author  finds  the 
following  process  yielding  a  liquid  containing  everything  desired  without 
having  the  flavor  and  aroma  impaired,  as  is  the  case  with  the  employment 
of  heat,  alkalies  or  carbonates :  Shake  1  pint  of  fluid  extract  of  Jamaica 
ginger  with  4  ounces  of  powdered  pumice  stone,  and  shake  with  3  pints  of 
water,  adding  it  slowly  and  allowing  intervals  for  rest  and  subsidence.  The 
water  precipitates  the  hot  resin  and  some  coloring  matter,  the  formation  of 
clots  being  prevented  by  the  pumice  stone.  The  filtered  product  is  of  a 
light  straw  or  amber  color,  of  an  agreeable  odor  and  flavor  and  therapeuti- 
cally is  a  prompt  diffusible  stimulant  without  irritating  properties.  The 
hot  resin  may  be  obtained  from  the  filter  by  drying  and  washing  with 
alcohol. 
Glyconin  and  its  Uses,  by  Geo.  C.  Close. — The  author  calls  attention  to  this 
compound  which  was  first  recommended  for  external  use  by  Edmond 
Sichel  (see  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,  1867,  p.  181;  also  Proc.  Am.  Phar.  A.,  1869, 
p.  386),  and  which  Mr.  Close  has  used  for  emulsionizing  oils  since  1873. 
The  Pharmacopoeia  has  admitted  it  under  the  title  of  glyceritum  vitelli. 
Pill  excipient,  by  G.  W.  Sloan. — Simple  cerate  is  recommended  as  being 
well  adapted  for  readily  decomposable  or  deliquescent  substances,  such  as 
silver  nitrate,  silver  oxide,  gold  chloride,  potassium  permanganate,  ammo- 
nium chloride,  zinc  bromide  and  many  others.  The  quantity  required  is 
small,  and  the  mass  produced  is  smooth,  plastic,  firm  and  readily  soluble 
in  the  stomach.  Powdered  talc  is  used  as  a  diluent  if  necessary,  and  as  the 
powder  for  the  pill  machine. 
Abstracts,  by  Virgil  Coblentz. — This  paper  is  a  continuation  of  previous 
researches  (see  Am.  Jour.  Phar.,  1885,  p.  513).  For  assaying  abstractum  igna- 
tiss  the  alkaloids  were  isolated  by  the  method  of  Dunstan  and  Short,  but  it 
was  found  necessary  to  agitate  the  acid  solution  repeatedly  with  ether  and 
chloroform  in  order  to  remove  all  coloring  matter  and  extractive ;  agitation 
with  ammonia  and  absolute  ether  containing  chloroform  then  yielded  the 
alkaloids  white.  For  the  estimation  of  the  alkaloids,  strychnine  and  brucine, 
Mayer's  solution  gives  variable  results,  as  has  been  shown  also  by  Dr.  A.  B. 
Lyons  (Drug.  Circ,  June,  1886).  Dunstan  and  Short's  method  with  potas- 
sium ferrocyanide  gives  correct  results,  but  requires  close  attention  and  does 
not  permit  of  rapid  work.  Dr.  Schweissinger's  alkalimetric  method  is 
rapidly  executed  and  exact.  1  cc.  j^nHCl  neutralizes  0.00394  gm.  brucine 
and  0.0034  gm.  strychnine.  The  weighed  mixed  alkaloids  are  dissolved  in  a 
slight  excess  of  measured  ^  nHCl ;  the  excess  of  acid,  determined  by  -^n 
alkali,  is  deducted the  total  weight  of  alkaloid  is  divided  by  the  number 
of  cc.  required  for  neutralizing  it;  the  quotient  is  substracted  from  3.94; 
the  remainder  is  divided  by  6,  when  the  quotient,  after  removing  the  deci- 
mal point  three  places  to  the  right,  indicates  the  weight  of  strychnine,  that 
of  brucine  being  found  by  difference.  When  the  amount  of  alkaloid  is 
small,  weighing  of  the  solutions  gives  the  most  accurate  results ;  with  more 
than  0.1  gm.  measuring  is  practically  accurate.  The  total  alkaloids  from  5 
gm.  of  the  abstract  varied  in  five  samples  between  .194  and  .237  gm.;  the 
strychnine  between  "1068  and  '1813  gm. 
