American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  491 
iodine  on  sodium  carbonate  which  is  formed  from  the  bicarbonate  if 
solution  is  effected  at  higher  temperatures. 
The  method  described  in  this  paper  seeks  to  eliminate  these  diffi- 
culties and  enables  the  determination  of  arsenic  trioxide  to  be  car- 
ried out  in  ten  minutes  with  a  maximum  error  of  0-2  per  cent. 
Owing  to  lack  of  time,  a  number  of  other  papers  were  read  by 
title.    These  were  as  follows  : 
Outlines  for  the  Sampling  of  Drugs  and  Medicines.  By  Lyman 
F.  Kebler.  The  importance  of  procuring  representative  samples 
for  analytical  work  is  sometimes  overlooked  and  underestimated. 
The  observations  embodied  in  this  paper  are  gleaned  from  practice 
and  are  presented  with  the  view  of  bringing  about  some  uniform 
system  of  sampling,  and  if  possible  to  save  some  of  the  younger 
chemists  many  trying  and  at  times  embarrassing  experiences. 
The  Organization  and  Working  of  the  Drug  Laboratory.  By 
L.  F.  Kebler.  In  pursuance  of  an  Act  of  Congress  of  June  30, 
1902,  authorizing  the  Secretary  of  Agriculture  to  investigate  the 
adulteration  of  drugs  in  the  United  States,  the  Drug  Laboratory  was 
established.  The  chief  assumed  active  charge  March  I,  1903,  and 
since  that  time  three  assistant  chemists  and  a  stenographer  have 
been  added  to  its  Working  force.  The  work  includes  at  present  the 
following  lines  of  investigation : 
Testing  of  Chemical  Reagents. — All  chemicals  purchased  by  the 
Bureau  of  Chemistry  are  examined  here  to  insure  the  acceptance  of 
reliable  chemicals  only,  thus  placing  all  competitors  on  an  equal 
footing,  and  also  for  the  purpose  of  securing  data  from  which  stand- 
ards of  purity  can  be  constructed. 
Analysis  of  Plant  Drugs. — This  involves  the  study  of  analytical 
methods  and  also  of  the  influence  of  time  on  the  properties  of  many 
potent  drugs. 
Cod  Liver  Oil  Investigations. — An  investigation  of  both  American 
and  Norwegian  cod  liver  oils  is  now  being  conducted,  in  collabora- 
tion with  the  Division  of  Foods  and  the  Bureau  of  Fisheries,  to  de- 
termine their  relative  values,  chemically  and  medicinally.  Thus  far, 
the  results  indicate  that  the  American  oil  is  the  equal  of  the  Nor- 
wegian. 
Work  on  Proprietary  Medicinal  Agents. — Much  of  this  work  is 
done  at  the  request  of  the  Post  Office  Department,  to  assist  it  in  in- 
vestigations of  fraudulent  products  which  are  transmitted  through 
the  mails. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm.l 
October,  1905.  j 
