Ana.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
September,  1905.  J 
Correspondence. 
447 
Oil  from  the  bark1  (yield  of  oil  81  per  cent.).  The  lemon-yellow 
oil  has  a  specific  gravity  of  0  8904,  and  a  rotation  aD,  of  -f-  10°  1 1' ; 
it  dissolves  in  about  1  and  more  volumes  80  per  cent,  alcohol.  A 
test  showed  the  oil  contains  aldehydes,  probably  a  mixture  of  citral 
and  citronellal  (melting  point  of  the  napthocinchoninic  acid  220°  to 
225°). 
Oil  from  the  leaves  (yield  of  oil  5-42  per  cent.):  bright-yellow; 
d150  09042  ;  aD  —  15°  41';  soluble  in  2-5  to  3  and  more  volumes 
70  per  cent,  alcohol.  Contrary  to  the  bark  oil,  the  leaf  oil  appears 
to  contain  only  citral  (melting  point  of  the  naphthocinchoninic  acid 
1980  to  200°),  whose  quantity  amounts  to  about  30  per  cent. ;  in 
the  non-aldehydic  portions  cineol  was  detected  (melting  point  of  the 
iodol-compound  lll°). 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
THE  U.  S.  PHARMACOPCEIA. 
How  the  Pharmacopoeia  is  Published. — Prior  to  the  1 890  edition 
the  Committee  on  Revision  of  the  U.S. P.  sought  a  publisher  as 
would  an  individual  author  of  a  new  book.  The  convention  of  1890 
made  a  new  departure,  and  instructed  the  Committee  on  Revision  to 
secure  the  copyright  for  the  revised  Pharmacopoeia.  A  contract 
was  made  with  one  firm  to  print  the  book,  and  with  another  to  act 
as  selling  agent*  The  Committee  on  Revision  realized  a  good 
profit,  which  was  used  in  covering  the  expenses  of  the  work  of  re- 
vision and  paying  the  members  a  small  honorarium.  The  conven- 
tion of  1900  inaugurated  a  new  plan  by  adopting  a  constitution  and 
by-laws  and  taking  steps  which  resulted  in  securing  papers  of  incor- 
poration for  the  United  States  Pharmacopceial  Convention.  The 
constitution  provides  for  a  Board  of  Trustees  of  five  (with  the  presi- 
dent of  the  convention  and  chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Revision 
as  ex- officio  members)  in  addition  to  the  usual  Committee  on  Re- 
vision. To  the  Board  of  Trustees  is  entrusted  the  transaction  of  all 
business,  including  the  publication  of  the  manuscript  prepared  by 
the  Committee  on  Revision.  The  work  has  now  reached  that  point 
where  some  idea  can  be  given  of  the  magnitude  of  the  undertaking. 
1  On  the  oil  distilled  from  the  fruit  of  Tetranthera  citrata  Nees,  comp.  Gilde- 
meister  and  Hoffmann  "The  Volatile  Oils,"  p.  405. 
