492  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  {^'cfXagosT' 
Compilation  of  Drug  Laws. — All  the  laws  of  the  different  States 
and  Territories  are  now  being  collected  which  relate  to  the  adultera- 
tion of  drugs  and  medicines. 
The  Drug  Known  as  Pink  Root.  By  W.  W.  Stockberger. 
Historical  outline  of  knowledge  of  pink-root  {Spigelia  marilandicd). 
Early  confusion  between  this  plant  and  Spigelia  Anthelmia  of  West 
Indies,  which  confusion  extended  to  chemical  and  physiological 
investigations.  Later  confusion  between  pink-root  and  Ruellia  sp. 
which  still  persists  and  has  crept  into  some  recent  text-books. 
General  substitution  practised.  Phlox  Carolina  erroneously  re- 
garded as  a  considerable  adulterant  of  Spigelia  due  to  confusion  of 
Ruellia  with  Phlox.  Confusion  extends  to  chemical  work.  "  Phloxol  " 
derived  really  from  Ruellia.  Differences,  gross  and  microscopic, 
between  Ruellia  and  Spigelia  and  Phlox  pointed  out.  Not  surpris- 
ing that  Spigelia  should  have  taken  less  important  place  in  medicine 
than  formerly,  since  Ruellia  is  relatively  inert. 
Note  on  a  Modification  of  Hehne/s  Test  for  Formaldehyde.  By 
A.  B.  Lyons.  Hehner's  test  is  applicable  only  to  milk  or  to  a 
mixture  of  the  suspected  solution  with  milk.  The  milk  contains 
proteids  upon  the  presence  of  which  the  color  reaction  depends. 
In  the  proposed  modification  of  the  test,  beef  peptone  is  sub- 
stituted for  the  milk.  It  is  essential  that  there  be  a  correct  propor- 
tion of  the  several  reagents  concerned  in  the  test.  In  routine  work, 
use  for  the  reagent  a  mixture  of  the  official  tincture  of  ferric  chloride 
in  twenty  or  twenty-five  volumes  of  strong  sulphuric  acid. 
Place  in  a  test-tube  2  c.c.  of  the  solution  to  be  tested  (distillate 
if  necessary).  Add  20  milligrammes  of  beef  peptone ;  shake  the 
tube  and  add  with  a  pipette  2  c.c.  of  the  reagent,  allowed  to  flow 
down  the  side  of  the  inclined  tube  and  so  form  a  distinct  layer  at 
the  bottom.  Make  a  duplicate  experiment,  allowing  one  tube  to 
stand  for  development  of  color  zone,  mix  the  contents  of  the  other 
tube  by  shaking  and  observe  change  of  color. 
Limit  of  test,  1-4,000,000  formaldehyde. 
Note  on  Some  New  Color  Reactions  and  a  New  Reagent  for 
Sucrose,  Lactose,  etc.  By  A.  B.  Lyons.  Sulphuric  acid  and 
formaldehyde  constitute  a  well-known  reagent  for  morphine  and  its 
derivative  alkaloids.  Conversely  morphine  and  sulphuric  acid  may 
be  used  for  detecting  formaldehyde.  The  test  applied  by  the  con- 
tact method  will  show  hardly  less  than  I -20,000  formaldehyde  in 
