AftSSS^SSm'}      The  U.S.P.  Inorganic  Chemicals.  387 
How  the  N.A.R.D.  Has  Benefited  the  Retail  Druggist. 
By  Thomas  H.  Potts. 
The  author  says  that  the  status  of  the  retail  druggist  at  the 
present  time  is  not  to  be  envied,  and  yet  it  is  immeasurably  superior 
to  what  it  would  be  were  it  not  for  the  protection  of  the  N.A.R.D. 
This  Association  protects  its  members  from  encroaching  cut-rate 
competition  and  aggressive  and  pernicious  legislation.  It  demands 
of  its  members  more  generous  support  and  greater  activity  in  meet- 
ing the  various  disturbing  issues  which  confront  it.  He  endorses 
the  direct  contract,  serial  numbering  plan,  and  states  that  mail-order 
business  has  been  entirely  eliminated  in  this  class  of  goods.  The 
Association  is  in  a  position  to  help  every  druggist  to  improve  his 
position  as  a  business  factor  whether  he  be  located  in  a  country  district 
or  in  a  city  store.  He  concludes  that  an  organization  of  30,000 
retail  druggists  who  are  working  together  for  the  betterment  of  their 
kind,  financially,  morally,  and  professionally,  is  a  power  in  the  land, 
as  it  ought  to  be,  and  every  druggist  who  is  imbued  with  the  spirit 
of  craft  kinship  and  realizes  the  harmonizing  power  of  co-operation 
should  be  a  member  of  this  organization. 
COMMENTS  UPON  THE  U.S.P.  INORGANIC  CHEMICALS. 
By  Virgin  Cobi^nTz. 
( Continued  from  p.  311.) 
ACIDS,  INORGANIC. 
Sulfuric  Acid. — The  strength  of  92^  per  cent.,  known  com- 
mercially as  66  Be.,  has  been  retained  because  this  represents  the 
commercial  acid  as  used  in  the  arts  and  decided  upon  by  the  Manu- 
facturing Chemists'  Association.  Such  a  strength  acid  cannot  be 
further  concentrated  in  platinum  without  injury  to  the  apparatus,, 
It  is  estimated  that  the  loss  in  platinum  in  concentrating  this  acid 
amounts  to  from  5  to  10  cents  per  ton,  while  an  acid  of  95  per  cent 
will  cause  a  loss  about  four  times  as  much. 
Again,  the  various  other  industries  employ  a  92^  per  cent,  acid, 
as,  for  example,  the  petroleum  refiners  find  this  strength  best  adapted 
to  their  wants ;  a  stronger  acid  causing  discoloration  of  the  oil. 
The  amount  of  this  acid  employed  in  pharmacy  amounts  to  but 
