'•}  Some  Commercial  A  loins.  367 
SAMPLES  FROM  PAINT  STORES. 
O  . 
>» 
vi 
INTERSOLUBILITY  WITH  WATER. 
Number 
Sampl 
Odor. 
;ific 
avit 
iper 
re. 
Boiling 
Point. 
Residue 
in  Dish. 
a  3 
H 
10  e.e.  of  each. 
50  c.c.  of  each. 
1 
2 
3 
4 
5 
Slightly 
petroleum 
Decidedly 
petroleum 
Slightly 
petroleum 
Normal 
Slightly 
petroleum 
Petroleum 
(Kerosene) 
•6720 
7122 
7144 
•7128 
7159 
26° 
26° 
26-5° 
27° 
26-5° 
50°  —  109° 
97°  —  139° 
91°  —  146° 
940—  1 28° 
93°  —  123° 
Sample  in  water 
about  0  5  c.c. 
Water  in  sample 
1  c.c. 
Sample  in  water 
1  c.c. 
Water  in  sample 
0-5  c.c. 
None 
None 
None 
Sample  in  water 
0-5  c.c. 
None 
None 
None 
Distinctfy 
petroleum 
Distinctly 
petroleum 
Slightly 
petroleum 
Black 
•7813 
27° 
1 49°  —  200° 
None 
None 
Distinctly 
petroleum 
SOME  COMMERCIAL  ALOINS.1 
By  Charles  H.  L,a  Walt,  Ph.G. 
"  Read  not  to  contradict  nor  to  believe,  but  to  weigh  and  consider." 
The  foregoing  well-known  precept  from  Lord  Bacon  was  forcibly 
recalled  by  the  contradictory  statements  made  in  the  literature  upon 
the  subject  of  the  aloins.  Of  all  proximate  plant  principles  there  are 
few,  if  any,  that  have  such  a  wide  range  of  physical  characteristics 
attributed  to  them  as  have  these. 
The  examination  of  a  commercial  sample  of  aloin,  and  the  appli- 
cation of  the  requirements  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  for  identity  and 
purity,  led  the  writer  of  this  article  to  consult  various  authors  for 
confirmation  of  certain  ascribed  properties.  Instead  of  enlightenment 
upon  the  subject,  confusion  seemed  to  attend  every  inquiry  as  to  its 
physical  characters,  especially  that  of  solubility.  Almost  every 
author  assigned  a  different  degree  of  solubility  to  each  of  the  several 
varieties,  and  few  of  these  were  actually  verified  upon  examination 
of  a  number  of  samples  from  reputable  manufacturers. 
These  discrepancies  led  to  a  thorough  review  of  the  literature 
upon  the  subject,  and  a  few  references  from  different  authorities  are 
given  in  regard  to  its  physical  characters,  together  with  the  result 
of  the  examination  of  the  commercial  specimens,  and  it  is  hoped 
that  with  the  aid  of  others  who  may  be  interested  in  the  subject, 
researches  may  be  carried  on  which  will  eventually  produce  uni- 
1  Read  before  the  Pennsylvania  Pharmaceutical  Association,  June,  1895. 
