^ptembef.'isS1'}  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  485 
because  the  oil  present  in  the  seed  renders  the  preparations  of  them  immisci- 
ble with  other  preparations,  and  because  the  seed  require  a  stronger  alcolic  men- 
strum  than  do  the  stems  and  leaves,  It  was  advised  that  strophanthus  and  col- 
chicum  seed  be  deprived  of  oil  before  being  used  for  the  making  of  preparations. 
The  definite  chemical  compound  of  gold  and  sodium  chloride,  AuCLNaC1.2H20, 
was  offered  to  replace  the  mixture  of  the  two  chlorides  which  is  now  official. 
It  was  suggested  to  have  the  English  name,  of  which  tartar  emetic  is  the  syno- 
nym, read  potassium  and  antimonyl  tartrate  instead  of  potassium  and  antimony 
tartrate.  Attention  was  directed  to  the  fact  that  the  official  carbonates  of  mag- 
nesium, lead  and  zinc  are  of  basic  character,  and  should  be  so  qualified  in  name. 
Hydrastis  should  be  required  to  contain  a  certain  strength  of  white  alkaloid. 
Hydrastine  hydrochloride  should  be  official.  The  committee  offered  the  follow- 
ing additions  to  the  directions  for  the  assay  of  powdered  opium  :  insert  after 
the  words  "another  portion  of  10  c.c.  of  ether,"  the  words  "  let  the  ether  on 
the  filter  and  crystals  evaporate  completely,"  and  after  the  words  "more  than 
about  10  c.c.  in  all,"  insert  the  words  "  use  a  feather  to  remove  the  crystals  that 
adhere  to  the  flask."  A  distinction  should  be  made  between  Pilocarpus  penna- 
tifolius  and  Pilocarpus  microphyllus.  A  method  of  assay  should  be  devised 
and  a  standard  strength  of  pilocarpine  fixed.  The  committee  had  found  the 
official  formula  for  the  preparation  of  the  solution  of  magnesium  citrate  unsat- 
isfactory. They  then  submitted  a  formula  which  had  been  proposed  by  A.  B. 
Stevens  and  W.  Palmer  at  a  meeting  of  the  Michigan  Pharmaceutical  Associa- 
tion.   It  was  as  follows  : 
Magnesium  carbonate  .  .  .  i3"o  grammes. 
Citric  acid  26*5  " 
Oil  of  lemon  <   0-128  " 
Sugar    62-0  " 
Potassium  bicarbonate   2"o  " 
Water,  a  sufficient  quantity. 
Dissolve  the  citric  acid  in  250  c.c.  of  water,  and  add  to  this  solution  the  mag- 
nesium carbonate  which  has  been  previously  triturated  with  the  oil.  In  the 
solution  which  results,  dissolve  the  sugar.  When  this  has  dissolved,  filter  into 
an  appropriate  bottle  having  a  capacity  of  360  c.c.  Then  add  enough  water 
to  nearly  fill  the  bottle,  drop  in  the  potassium  bicarbonate,  immediately  close 
the  bottle  with  a  cork,  and  secure  the  latter  with  twine.  In  connection  with 
this  subject,  Professor  Hallberg  spoke  of  a  formula  which  directed  the  sterili- 
zation by  heat  of  the  solution  of  the  magnesium  salt  after  it  had  r  een  filtered 
into  the  bottles.  After  this  treatment  the  bottles  were  stoppered  and  set  aside 
until  the  finished  article  was  called  for,  when  the  addition  of  potassium  bicar- 
bonate was  made  in  the  usual  way.  Professor  Caspari  mentioned  the  tendency 
of  the  solution  of  magnesium  citrate  to  deposit  the  normal  salt,  and  the  neces- 
sity of  employing  sufficient  citric  acid  to  insure  the  formation  of  the  more 
soluble  acid  citrate,  or  at  least  to  prevent  the  separation  of  the  normal  citrate. 
Chairman  Eliel,  of  the  Reporting  Committee,  said  that  he  was  accustomed  to 
rub  a  soluble  essence  of  lemon,  instead  of  the  oil,  with  the  magnesium  car- 
bonate. The  report  of  the  committee  also  contained  the  following  formula  for 
Sapo  Mollis  : 
Olive  oil  1,000  grammes. 
Potassium  hydrate   360  " 
Water  3, coo  cubic  centimetres. 
