Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Oct.,  1879. 
Spirit  of  Nitrous  Ether. 
The  inner  and  outer  portions  of  a  sample  of  the  bark  of  C.  succirubra 
give  the  following  results  : 
Quinia.  Cinchonidia.  Cinchonia. 
Inner,  .  .  *6  per  cent.     12  per  cent.  1*4  per  cent. 
Outer,       .  1-2       "  1-4       "  17  " 
It  will  be  noted  that  not  only  is  the  total  alkaloid  more  in  the  outer 
bark,  but  the  quinia  is  in  greater  proportion,  and,  therefore,  the  outer 
bark  would  be  of  much  greater  value  per  pound  to  a  manufacturer  than 
the  whole  bark. 
The  practical  value  of  the  process  chiefly  depends  on  the  effect  on 
the  tree.  If,  when  thus  treated,  the  tree  throws  out  fresh  bark  of  a 
similar  quality  to  that  produced  in  the  old  method  of  renewing  without 
greater  injury  to  its  health,  the  process  may  be  successful,  but  of  course 
it  is  essential  not  to  cut  so  deeply  as  to  injure  the  cambium,  and  thus 
destroy  the  recuperative  power  of  the  bark. — Phar.  your,  and  Trans., 
Sept.  6,  1879. 
SPIRIT  OF  NITROUS  ETHER. 
By  J.  U.  Lloyd. 
Read  at  the  Twenty -seventh  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Amer.  Pharmaceutical  Association. 
As  made  by  the  official  process,  this  is  liable  to  be  of  different 
strengths  ethereally,  even  with  great  care  from  the  manipulator.  It  may 
also  contain  free  nitric  acid,  and  occasionally  H2S04  from  the  bursting 
of  bubbles  in  the  retort,  thus  throwing  fragments  of  liquid  upward 
with  considerable  force,  often  making  the  inside  of  the  retort  resemble 
spray  when  in  sunlight.  Towards  the  end  of  the  process  I  find  also 
a  little  water  distills  over,  which  tends  to  hasten  subsequent  decom- 
position. The  specific  gravity  of  U.  S.  P.  nitrous  ether  is  given  at 
0*837.  I  find  tne  specific  gravity  of  nitrous  ether  made  from  alcohol, 
to  which  is  added  5  per  cent,  nitrous  ether,  to  be  0-835.  Four  years 
ago  I  became  convinced  that  the  officinal  process  could  be  improved 
upon.  Accordingly,  I  have  modified  the  formula  in  such  a  manner 
that  the  product  will  always  be  of  a  definite  strength,  while  at  the 
same  time  not  materially  altering  the  present  process.  Indeed,  the 
formula  of  the  present  Pharmacopoeia  may  be  left  unaltered  up  to  the 
words:  "Distill  two  fluidounces  as  before,"  when  I  would  proceed 
to  say  :  "Add  the  distillate  to  its  bulk  of  solution   of  chloride  of  cal- 
