Am.  Jonr.  Pharm.  1 
October,  1913.  J 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
459 
directed  applicable  to  weak  distillates.  The  degree  of  accuracy 
obtainable  is  shown  by  the  following  results  of  a  typical  series  of 
experiments : 
Grams  methyl  alcohol  per  ioo  c.c. 
Present  0.005  0.028  0.044  0.072  0.100  0.500  1.000 
Found       0.004      0.029      0.046      0.072       0.104      0.492  0.968 
Formaldehyde,  of  course,  must  be  absent  from  the  unoxidized 
solution  of  the  alcohols,  or  else  its  effect  must  be  determined  and 
allowed  for.    Glycerol  must  also  be  absent. 
The  method  of  purification  referred  to  is  for  the  purpose  of 
getting  rid  of  other  volatile  substances,  such  as  ether,  chloroform, 
benzene,  essential  oils,  etc.-;  25  c.c.  of  the  sample  are  diluted  in  a 
separatory  funnel  with  water  to  100-150  c.c;  enough  salt  added  to 
saturate  the  solution  which  is  then  shaken  vigorously  for  five 
minutes  with  50-80  c.c.  of  light  petroleum  (boiling  below  6o°), 
allowed  to  stand  0.5  hour,  the  lower  layer  drawn  off  and  again 
extracted  if  necessary,  the  petroleum  extracts  washed  with  25  c.c. 
of  saturated  salt  solution,  the  wash  waters  added  to  the  main 
bulk  of  liquid  which  is  then  neutralized  if  necessary  and  100  c.c. 
distilled  over.  Experiment  has  shown  that  all  of  the  alcohol  is 
recovered  in  the  first  100  c.c.  of  distillate. 
Note  by  author  of  this  paper.  Sensitive  fuchsin  bisulphite 
solution  is  readily  made  according  to  the  following  formula :  In 
100  c.c.  of  a  saturated  solution,  less  than  1  per  cent,  of  basic 
fuchsin,  dissolve  sodium  bisulphite  10  grams  and  when  nearly 
colorless  mix  with  purified  animal  charcoal  and  filter,  a  perfectly 
clear  colorless  solution  should  result. 
Laboratory  Hynson,  Westcott  &  Co., 
Baltimore,  Md. 
PROGRESS  IN  PHARMACY. 
A  Quarterly  Review  of  Some  of  the  More  Interesting  Litera- 
ture Relating  to  Pharmacy  and  Materia  Medica. 
By  M.  I.  Wilbert,  Washington,  D.  C. 
The  Pharmaceutical  events  of  the  year,  the  meetings  of  the 
American  Pharmaceutical  Association  and  of  the  National  Associa- 
tion of  Retail  Druggists,  have  passed  into  history  but  will  long  be 
