556 
Laboratory  Notes. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I  November,  1901. 
Nineteen  samples  gave  between  1-92  and  2-36  per  cent,  of  total 
alkaloids  in  fresh  drug,  or  calculated  on  moisture-free  drug  between 
2-19  and  2*54  per  cent. 
Glycerin. — Several  carloads  of  glycerin,  obtained  from  one  of 
the  largest  manufacturers  in  the  country,  have  been  examined 
recently.  Aside  from  the  trace  of  fatty  acids  it  contained,  it  an- 
swered the  U.S.P.  requirements.  It  answered  the  U.S. P.  tests  for 
sugars,  but  when  allowed  to  stand  longer  than  six  hours  (from 
twelve  to  sixteen  hours  in  the  cold),  it  reduced  Fehling's  solution. 
For  pharmaceutical  purposes  this  probably  would  not  be  detri- 
mental, but  when  used  for  preparing  certain  test-solutions  that  are 
in  turn  used  for  the  detection  of  sugar  in  urine,  the  results  might  be 
very  unsatisfactory  for  all  parties  concerned. 
Soluble  Blue. — Several  samples  of  soluble  blue  were  offered  at  a 
price  much  lower  than  we  had  been  paying.  Upon  examination  it 
was  found  to  consist  almost  entirely  of  ultramarine  blue,  only  a 
small  per  cent,  being  soluble.  As  there  is  a  difference  of  about  25 
cents  per  pound  between  the  two  (ultramarine  being  the  cheaper) 
these  parties,  if  they  could  have  sold  enough  of  their  products, 
would,  in  a  short  time,  have  been  millionaires. 
Belladonna  Leaves. — We  have  several  times  heretofore  reported 
the  alkaloidal  content  of  belladonna  leaves  to  be  above  the  standard 
{i.  £.,035  per  cent,  total  alkaloids  by  acid  titration)  adopted  by 
manufacturers  whose  drugs  are  bought  and  sold  upon  the  assay. 
Recently  several  samples  were  offered  for  sale  and  upon  being 
assayed,  they  were  found  to  be  away  below  the  standard.  In  ap- 
pearance the  leaves  were  very  fine. 
The  analysis  of  nine  samples  gave  between  o-io  and  o-22  per 
cent,  of  total  alkaloids  by  acid  titration,  the  average  being  0-13 
per  cent. 
Tannin  Commercial. — A  sample  of  tannin  commercial  was  offered 
for  sale  at  35  cents  per  pound.  As  this  was  an  exceedingly  low  price 
for  this  product,  our  suspicions  were  at  once  aroused  and  upon  being 
assayed,  it  was  found  to  contain  57-80  per  cent,  of  tannin.  In  ap- 
pearance it  resembled  finely  powdered  nut  galls ;  this  conclusion 
was  confirmed  by  the  per  cent,  of  tannin  it  contained. 
Yellow  Wax. — Quite  a  few  of  the  samples  of  yellow  wax  ex- 
amined during  the  past  year  have  been  found  to  be  adulterated  in  one 
way  or  another.  The  following  table  of  constants  shows  the  varia- 
tions in  the  different  samples  : 
