482  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference.    {A™c£j£  i^™- 
A  trace  of  a  phenolic  substance,  a  mixture  of  fatty  acids  in  the 
free  and  combined  state,  and  a  mixture  of  solid  saturated  hydro- 
carbons were  also  separated,  while  indications  of  the  presence 
of  other  compounds,  including  oxygenated  substances,  were  also 
obtained. 
Ergot  and  Its  Preparations:  A  Critical  Review  of  the  Re- 
quirements of  the  British  Pharmacopoeia. 
By  F.  N.  Carr  and  H.  H.  Hale.  • 
In  the  light  of  present-day  knowledge  of  ergot  pharmacopceial 
revision  of  the  preparations  of  this  interesting  drug  is  very  neces- 
sary. Among  the  many  interesting  suggestions  offered  by  the 
authors  of  this  paper  is  one  relating  to  ergots  other  than  that 
growing  on  rye,  which  they  think  should  receive  official  recog- 
nition, provided  that  an  acceptable  method  of  standardization  for 
active  alkaloid  could  be  worked  out.  The  authors  examined  some 
ergot  from  the  tall  fescue  grass  (Fcstuca  arundinacea) ,  which 
grows  wild  in  vast  swampy  areas  in  Xew  Zealand,  and  is  said  to 
be  constantly  and  heavily  infected  with  ergot.  They  estimate  this 
ergot  to  be  three  times  as  active  as  an  average  specimen  of  good 
rye-ergot  which  usually  contains  about  0.1  per  cent,  of  ergotoxine. 
They  also  advise  that  Extractum  Ergotae  (Ergotin)  of  the 
British  Pharmacopoeia  should  be  dropped.  "  If  a  soft  extract  is 
needed,  as  in  the  preparation  of  pills,  the  extraction  should  be 
carried  out  with  60  per  cent,  alcohol,  and  to  this  citric  acid  should 
be  added  instead  of  HC1.  The  acid  might  with  advantage  be  added 
to  the  alcohol  before  the  extraction  is  performed.  Such  a  product 
could  be  evaporated  to  a  soft  extract  without  filtration,  and  would 
contain  practically  the  whole  of  the  active  constituents  of  the 
ergot." 
They  also  regard  the  fluidextract  of  the  U.  S.  P.  as  superior  to 
the  Extractum  Ergotae  Liquidum  of  their  pharmacopoeia  and  advise 
its  adoption.  Its  adoption  would  also  have  the  further  advan- 
tage of  tending  to  international  uniformity. 
The  Determination  of  Hypophosphites,  With  Notes  on  Com- 
mercial Samples. 
By  J.  T.  Cocking  and  J.  D.  Kettle. 
For  the  determination  of  hypophosphites  the  authors  found  that 
potassium  dichromate  is  of  decided  advantage  compared  to  other 
oxidizing  agents,  particularly  as  the  pure  salt  is  easily  obtained, 
