^m'May,ri9Pi3arni'}       Keeping  Properties  of  Digitalis.  203 
95  per  cent,  with  80  per  cent,  alcohol  for  solution  of  the  dried  resin. 
PbS04  ignited,  cooled  and  weighed. 
Assays  6  and  7. — The  asafetida  soln.  was  not  dried,  the  resin 
content  being  calculated. 
Assay 
Resin 
Asafet- 
ida Cc. 
Resin  in 
aliquot 
Lead 
soln. 
per 
cent. 
Resin  dis. 
in  alcohol 
per  cent. 
PbS04  in  aliquot 
Blank         Resin  Soln. 
Lead 
number 
25 
O.2373 
4 
95 
O.I994 
O.  I  1 12 
253-9 
2 
25 
O.2403 
5 
95 
O.2494 
O.I524 
2757 
3 
25 
O.2373 
5 
80 
O.242O 
O.1832 
169.2 
4 
25 
O.2402 
5 
80 
O.242O 
O.I852 
161.5 
5 
20 
O.I909 
5 
80 
O.242O 
O.1877 
194-3 
6 
25 
O.24OO 
5 
80 
O.2420 
O.1879 
154.0 
7 
25 
O.24OO 
5 
95 
O.2494 
O.I566 
264.1 
The  results  show  that  the  lead  absorption  is  subject  to  consider- 
able variation.  Several  of  the  factors  which  seemi  to  have  more 
or  less  influence  are  failure  to  obtain  constant  weight  by  drying  at 
1100  C  for  five  hours  and. the  effect  of  the  heat.  The  strength  of 
the  lead  acetate  solution  and  the  alcohol  for  dissolving  the  dried 
resin  are  within  control. 
The  use  of  80  per  cent,  alcohol  instead  of  95  per  cent,  greatly 
reduces  the  absorption  and  the  number  obtained  upon  asafetida 
tears  (see  experiment  No.  14)  is  much  below  the  figure  222. 
Analytical  Department. 
Schieffelin  &  Co.,  New  York. 
OBSERVATIONS  ON  THE  KEEPING  PROPERTIES  OF 
DIGITALIS  AND  SOME  OF  ITS  PREPARATIONS.* 
By  Robert  A.  Hatcher,  M.D.,  and  Gary  Eggleston,  M.D. 
The  opinion  is  prevalent  among  both  physicians  and  pharmacists 
that  digitalis  and  its  preparations  undergo  deterioration  with  con- 
siderable rapidity.  Certain  manufacturers  have*  made  much  of  this 
belief  in  the  claims  put  forth  regarding  the  advantages  of  their 
*  From  the  Laboratory  of  Pharmacology,  Cornell  University  Medical 
College,  New  York  City.  Read  before  the  New  York  Branch  of  the 
American  Pharmaceutical  Association,  at  the  New  York  College  of  Pharmacy, 
April  14,  1913. 
