AmAigustPiSo6rm'}    Pennsylvania  Pharmaceutical  Association.  377 
that  it  is  very  difficult  to  thoroughly  disintegrate  the  coagulated 
egg  albumin  by  means  of  a  glass  rod  tipped  with  rubber  as 
directed,  but  that  vigorous  shaking  is  quite  effective,  and  he  states 
that  the  strict  method  of  inverting  the  bottle  once  every  ten  min- 
utes should  be  adhered  to,  as  a  more  vigorous  shaking  gives  the 
sample  too  great  an  advantage.  With  reference  to  the  U.S. P.  test 
for  phenol  and  cresol,  the  author  states  it  is  much  easier  to  apply 
this  test  when  5  c.c.  of  each  of  the  reagents  are  used  instead  of 
one  as  directed,  and  furthermore  states,  that  as  much  as  ten  per  cent, 
of  phenol  can  be  added  to  cresol  without  being  detected  by  this 
test.  He  advocates  the  use  of  iodeosin  as  an  indicator  in  alkaloidal 
assay,  as  it  gives  more  delicate  readings  than  any  of  the  other  indi- 
cators used  in  this  class  of  work. 
A  .Digest  of  the'  Digestive  Ferments. 
By  Franklin  M.  Apple. 
The  author  presents  a  study  of  the  digestive  ferments  used  at  the 
present  time,  giving  elaborate  tabulations  of  the  comparative  number 
of  times  each  was  prescribed  in  one  year,  also  giving  the  number  of 
physicians  prescribing  the  substance  in  each  case.  Several  points  are 
of  interest  in  the  examination  of  this  tabulated  matter.  The  very 
frequent  prescribing  of  proprietary  digestive  mixtures  was  noticed, 
especially  the  predominance  of  starch- digesting  compounds,  and  the 
very  infrequent  prescribing  of  pepsin,  and  almost  complete  neglect 
of  pancreatin  were  very  surprising  features.  He  appends  extracts 
from  the  literature  of  proprietary  manufacturers  setting  forth  the 
extravagant  claims  made  for  some  of  these  digestive  mixtures.  In 
conclusion,  he  states  that  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  animal  digestive 
agents  are  being  replaced  to  a  large  degree  by  those  of  vegetable 
origin,  and  recommends  that  a  higher  test  of  pepsin  should  be  made 
official,  that  the  pfurity  of  pancreatin  should  be  improved,  and  that 
diastase  of  malt  should  receive  greater  attention  as  a  digestive,  and 
comments  upon  keratin  coated  preparations  of  such  digestive  agents 
as  are  desired  to  reach  the  intestines  before  exerting  their  action. 
A  New  Method  of  Making  Granular  Effervescent  Salt. 
By  J.  Percy  Remington. 
The  author  comments  upon  the  disadvantages  of  the  present 
method  of  granulating  the  sticky  mass  which  results  after  heating 
