472  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference.  {ASeptimberPhS" 
language  as  there  spoken,  but  on  account  of  its  containing  some  particulars 
concerning  native  drugs,  therapeutical  notes,  and  other  matters  of  interest  to 
the  medical  profession. 
This  raises  the  question  of  what  the  nest  British  Pharmacopoeia  should  com- 
prise. Pharmacists  should  undoubtedly  be  appointed  on  the  Pharmacopoeia 
committee.  Whilst  the  statement  of  proportions,  according  to  the  metric 
system,  will  be  appreciated  by  many,  it  may  also  be  found  useful  to  give  the 
equivalents  of  the  doses  in  the  same  way. 
A  secondary  list  of  new  drugs  still  under  trial,  and  of  old  ones  becoming 
obsolete,  might  also  prove  an  acquisition,  and  help  to  avoid  too  frequent 
changes  in  the  body  of  the  work. 
RECOVERY  OF  ALCOHOL  FROM  TINCTURE  MARCS. 
By  F.  C.  J.  Bird. 
The  recovery  of  alcohol  from  drug  residues  has  always  been  a  tedious  and 
somewhat  expensive  method.  By  the  use  of  a  water  bath  and  a  cone-shaped 
condenser,  the  author  showed  that  he  was  able  to  recover  all  his  alcohol  by 
slowly  heating  it  at  6o:  C. 
SYRUP  HYPOPHOS.  COMP.  B.P.C. 
By  W.  A.  H.  Xaylor. 
The  odor  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen  was  stated  by  Bird,  at  the  Conference 
last  year,  to  be  due  to  the  action  of  free  hypophosphorous  acid  on  sulphates. 
In  the  present  paper,  however,  it  was  considered  to  be  due  to  the  acid  on 
sulphites.  The  results  of  the  examination  of  a  number  of  samples  of  the 
commercial  syrup  showed  that  phosphites  were  present  in  all  but  one. 
When  made  with  commercially  pure  materials,  the  syrup  can  be  stored  in  bulk 
in  glassware,  for  three  or  four  weeks,  without  undergoing  change.  To  prolong 
the  period  during  which  it  will  remain  bright,  it  was  recommended  that  So 
grains  of  potassium  citrate  be  added  to  each  pint. 
NOTE  ON  A  SPURIOUS  SAMPLE  OF  TOLL'  BALSAM. 
By  J.  Oldham  Braithwaite. 
This  sample  differed  from  genuine  balsam  of  tolu  in  its  behavior  with  carbon 
disulphide,  and  the  saponification  equivalent  of  the  insoluble  residue  was  found 
to  be  very  low,  approaching  that  of  copaiba  resin.  It  was  suggested  that  the 
following  addition  might,  with  advantage,  be  made  to  the  characters  and  tests 
of  tolu  balsam  in  the  Pharmacopoeia  :  "  When  5  parts  are  gently  warmed  with 
two  successive  portions  of  25  and  10  parts,  respectively,  of  carbon  disulphide, 
and  the  solvent  decanted  into  a  tared  flask,  the  residue  on  distillation  should 
be  distinctly  crystalline,  and  every  1,000  parts  of  this  residue  should  require 
for  its  saponification  not  less  than  300  parts  of  potassium  hydrate." 
THE  QUALITY  OF  COMMERCIAL  POWDER  OF  IPECACUANHA. 
By  Henry  G.  Greenish. 
In  a  paper  read  at  an  evening  meeting  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society,  in 
Februarv  last,  Professor  Greenish  showed  how  ipecacuanha  root  and  stem  may 
be  distinguished  in  the  state  of  powder,  and  also  how  Brazilian  and  Carthagena 
ipecacuanha  may  be  distinguished  in  the  same  condition.  It  became  manifest, 
therefore,  that  the  ordinary  processes  of  assay  might  be  usefully  supplemented 
