Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  > 
Sept.,  1921.  5 
The  Pollution  of  Water. 
in  the  theoretical  volume  of  N/io  hydrochloric  acid  and  made  up 
to  i  per  cent,  strength.  The  Ph  of  the  solution  was  found  to  be 
3-75- 
This  corresponds  to  a  distinct  blue  color  with  brom-phenol 
blue,  and  is  reasonably  close  to  the  end-point  of  the  morphine  titra- 
tion given  above.  It  is  again  evident  the  cochineal  is  an  unsuitable 
indicator  for  this  titration,  and  that  brom-phenol  blue  should  be 
used,  finishing  with  a  distinct  blue  color. 
A  commercial  sample  of  atropine  sulphate  had  in  i  per  cent, 
solution  Ph  =  5.9,  showing  that  it  contained  an  excess  of  atropine 
over  the  sulphuric  acid. 
SUMMARY. 
On  theoretical  grounds  and  as  the  result  of  practical  experi- 
ments it  has  been  shown  that  the  indicators  ordinarily  employed  for 
the  titration  of  the  alkaloids,  morphine,  quinine,  and  atropine,  are 
not  the  most  suitable  for  the  titrations. 
From  measurement  of  the  hydrogen  ion  concentration  of  the 
solutions  of  the  pure  hydrochlorides  it  was  found  that  brom-phenol 
blue  is  a  better  indicator  to  use  for  morphine,  atropine,  and  the  neu- 
tral salts  of  quinine.  For  the  acid  salts  of  quinine,  methyl  red  is  the 
most  suitable  indicator. 
The  work  for  this  paper  was  carried  out  in  the  analytical  and 
research  laboratories  of  Messrs.  Allen  and  Hanburys,  Ltd. 
THE  POLLUTION  OF  WATER  * 
At  the  meeting  of  the  American  Public  Health  Association  in 
San  Francisco,  an  experienced  biologist  made  the  startling  state- 
ment that  if  present  conditions  continue,  the  greater  part  of  the 
eastern  United  States  will  be  cradled  in  a  septic  tank.1  The  grow- 
ing sewage  pollution  of  our  rivers  and  seashore  has  long  been  recog- 
nized as  a  problem  of  serious  moment.  There  is  one  aspect  of  the 
subject,  however,  that  is  not  generally  understood.  House  sewage, 
which  represents  human  wastes,  may,  of  course,  contain  the  micro- 
*From  Jour.  Amer.  Med.  Asso.,  July  30,  1921. 
1  Nelson,  T.  C. :  Some  Aspects  of  Pollution  as  Affecting  Oyster  Prop- 
agation, Am.  J.  Pub.  Health  9:498   (June)  1921. 
