A%Sch,'iP9^rm'}  Developments  in  Alkaloidal  Assaying.  125 
heat,  its  preparations  should  be  assayed  at  least  every  three  or  four 
months  before  using  them. 
The  U.  S.  P.  directs  to  use  for  hyoscyamus  assays  25  Gm.  of 
the  drug  :  50  c.c.  of  the  fluidextract ;  10  Gm.  of  solid  extract,  but  only 
100  c.c.  for  tincture — why.  I  do  not  understand. 
To  make  plain  what  I  have  in  mind  I  hereby  give  the  following 
comparisons  : 
25  Gm.  of  drug  of  0.08  U.   S.  P.  standard  would  represent 
0.020  Gm.  alkaloid. 
50  c.c.  of  Fluidextract  of  0.075  Per  cent.  U.  S.  P.  standard  would 
represent  about  0.0375  Gm.  alkaloid. 
10  Gm.  of  solid  extract  of  0.3  per  cent.  U.  S.  P.  standard  would 
represent  0.030  Gm.  alkaloid. 
100  c.c.  of  tincture  of  0.007  Per  cent.  U.  S.  P.  standard  would 
represent  only  0.007  Gm.  alkaloid. 
Therefore  the  amount  used  for  tincture  is  only  about  one-third 
of  that  used  for  the  drug,  about  one-fifth  of  that  for  fluidextract, 
and  about  one-fourth  of  that  for  solid  extract. 
I  think  it  advisable  to  use  at  least  200  c.c.  of  tincture  for  assay 
to  get  nearly  accurate  results,  the  amount  of  100  c.c.  being  too  small 
for  practical  laboratory  work. 
Personally  I  would  say  that  I  prefer  iodeosin  to  cochineal  in 
titrating  all  mydriatic  alkaloids. 
Analytical  Laboratory, 
H.  K.  Mulford  Co. 
RECENT  DEVELOPMENTS  IN  ALKALOIDAL  ASSAYING  * 
By  Joseph  L  Turner. 
If  we  cast  a  retrospective  view  upon  investigations  of  vegetable 
drugs,  two  distinct  purposes  of  these  investigations  can  be  noticed : 
firstly,  the  purely  chemical  investigations  of  drugs  in  order  to  learn 
the  innermost  of  their  composition  and  constitution,  and,  secondly, 
investigation  of  their  practical  application.  While  the  first  purpose 
is  not  yet  entirely  achieved  and  very  much  has  yet  to  be  done,  how- 
*  Read  before  the  Philadelphia  Branch  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical 
Association,  January  5,  1909. 
