A%JP7n;woiarm"}    Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  187 
orial,  and  accomplish  the  most  good  to  the  greatest  number.  Such 
a  commemoration  of  the  life  and  work  of  one  of  our  early  members 
who  has  done  so  much  in  the  Association,  and  made  his  life  mem- 
orable as  a  leader  and  teacher  in  progressive  pharmacy,  and  whose 
character  is  a  model  to  follow,  would  be  alike  creditable  to  the 
memory  of  Professor  Procter  and  the  purpose  of  the  A. Ph. A. 
The  cost  or  expense  to  the  several  colleges  would  not  be  large, 
and  the  annual  expense  to  the  A.Ph.A.  after  its  first  outlay  could  be 
easily  provided  for.  It  would  certainly  be  national  and  not  sectional, 
and,  as  I  see  it,  of  constantly  increasing  service  in  making  excep- 
tional pharmacists.  H.  M.  Whitney. 
RECENT  LITERATURE  RELATING  TO  PHARMACY. 
EXAMINATION  OF  PETROLATUM. 
The  several  characteristics  which  should  be  studied  in  the  ex- 
amination of  soft  petrolatum  are  as  follows :  Color,  melting  point, 
behavior  under  oxidizing  agents,  stability  under  heat  of  200°,  re- 
action, homogeneity  and  viscosity.  As  the  melting  point  estimation 
is  somewhat  difficult,  by  reason  of  the  gradual  softening  under 
heat,  the  best  method  is  to  melt  the  product  in  a  beaker  glass, 
stir  with  a  thermometer  until  the  liquid  becomes  cloudy  and  shows 
first  suggestion  of  thickenipg,  when  the  thermometer  is  read.  As 
to  oxidation,  3  grammes  of  the  product  warmed  on  water-bath 
with  ioc.c.  acid  permanganate  solution  (ToVcr)  snould  not  decolorize 
the  permanganate,  even  after  ten  minutes'  heating.  If  the  perman- 
ganate is  decolorized,  rosin  oil  is  to  be  suspected.  The  heating  to 
200°  is  to  detect  presence  of  volatile  hydrocarbons  which  are  some- 
times irritating  ;  10  grammes  of  the  product  heated  five  hours  in 
an  air-bath  should  lose  not  more  than  8  per  cent,  in  weight.  The 
reaction  of  the  petrolatum  is  tested  by  shaking  an  ethereal  solution 
with  100  c.c.  of  water  containing  a  few  drops  of  any  acid  indicator. 
The  writer  prefers  iodeosin.  The  homogeneity  of  the  product  is 
easily  proven  by  examination  under  the  microscope,  when  no  paraf- 
fine  needles  should  be  noticed;  The  viscosity  estimation  is  made 
with  special  apparatus ;  suffice  it  to  say  that  an  artificial  petrolatum 
is  much  less  viscous  than  the  natural  product.  The  article  closes 
with  a  report  on  the  examination  of  six  commercial  varieties  of 
petrolatum. — (Dr.  M.  Hoehnel,  Ph.  Zt.,  1901,  28.)     H.  V.  Arny. 
