168  Contributions  from  H.  M.  Got  din.  {^m-l^\J^vs"' 
Two  assays  by  method  A  gave  the  following  results : 
fo  Acid  Consumed       Percentage  of  Alkaloids 
Method  Used.  by  5  Grammes.  (Ether  Soluble). 
Standard   6"6  i*oo 
a  ;   6-5  0-988 
A  (duplicate)    6'6  roo 
Method  A  giving  the  same  results  as  obtained  by  the  standard 
method,  and  being  easily  carried  out,  this  method  A  should  be 
adopted  for  the  assay  of  coca  leaves. 
HYDRASTIS  CANADENSIS.  THE  STANDARD  METHOD. 
Ten  grammes  of  hydrastis  in  No.  60  powder  were  treated  exactly 
as  the  coca  leaves  were  treated  in  the  standard  method  for  that 
drug,  but  using  a  menstruum  consisting  of  six  volumes  of  alcohol, 
three  water  and  one  glycerin  (U.S. P.  menstruum  for  fluid  extract 
hydrastis).  The  dregs,  examined  as  described  under  coca  leaves, 
were  found  to  be  free  from  hydrastine.  The  percolate  was  concen- 
trated in  vacuo  to  about  50  c.c,  mixed  with  the  reserved  portion 
previously  received  into  a  100  c.c.  measuring  flask,  and  after  wash- 
ing the  vessel  in  which  the  concentration  took  place,  diluted  to  100 
c.c.  with  water  containing  2  per  cent,  sulphuric  acid  and  about  5 
per  cent,  potassium  iodide.  After  shaking  a  lew  minutes  the  liquid 
was  filtered  and  20  c.c.  of  the  filtrate  (=  2  grammes  of  drug),  after 
making  alkaline  with  ammonia,  shaken  out  three  times  with  a  mix- 
ture of  three  parts  of  ether  and  one  part  of  chloroform,  using  30 
c.c.  each  time.    The  assay  was  then  finished  as  that  of  coca. 
The  same  drug  in  the  same  state  of  fineness  was  then  assayed  by 
method  A,  finishing  exactly  as  in  the  standard  method  just  de- 
scribed, i.  e.f  using  potassium  iodide,  making  up  to  100  c.c,  etc. 
N 
-  Acid  Consumed  PercentaRe  of  Aikaloid 
Method  Used.                                        by  2  Grammes.  (Hydrastine). 
-Standard   7  c.c.  3*47 
A   7  c.c.  3-47 
A  (duplicate)   7  c.c.  3*47 
Method  A  giving  such  good  results  as  compared  with  the 
standard  method,  A  should  be  adopted  for  the  assay  of  hydrastis  in 
preference  to  all  other  methods. 
Laboratory  of 
The  Wm.  S.  Merrell  Chemical  Company, 
Cincinnati,  O. 
( To  be  continued. ) 
