140 
Determination  of  Alcohol. 
(Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
(      March,  1909. 
diameter  of  22  mm.,  a  height  of  200  mm.,  and  being  graduated  at  the  point 
where  it  holds  exactly  50  c.c.  The  test-tube  is  then  placed  in  a  water-bath 
and  contents  allowed  to  evaporate  until  all  alcohol  has  been  dissipated.  After 
cooling  to  original  temperature,  U.  S.  P.  alcohol  (of  known  percentage  of 
abs.  ale.  by  volume),  at  the  same  temperature,  is  run  in  from  a  burette  until 
an  amount  has  been  added  which  when  diluted  with  water  to  exactly  50  c.c. 
will  give  a  solution  of  approximately  the  same  alcoholic  strength  as  that 
used  as  menstruum  for  the  preparation  being  worked  upon.  The  test-tube  is 
then  stoppered,  the  contents  thoroughly  mixed  (whereby  a  clear  solution  is 
obtained)  and  then  the  specific  gravity  of  the  solution  determined,  at  the 
same  temperature,  by  means  of  the  Westphal  balance. 
Calculation:  Algebraically  subtract  original  specific  gravity  from  that  of 
the  obtained  solution,  and  subtract  the  algebraic  difference  from  the  theo- 
retical specific  gravity  (at  the  same  temperature)  of  alcohol  of  the  theoretical 
strength  obtained  by  the  dilution.    Consult  tables. 
Preparation 
A. 
By  Distillation 
B. 
Thorpe  and  Holmes 
method 
c. 
New  modified 
method  (in  test- 
tube) 
Fluidextract  Buchu.... 
Fluidextract  Cubeb .... 
Fluidextract  Santal  .... 
55.82  per  cent. 
f  70.15  per  cent.  \ 
X  71.14  per  cent.  / 
79.60  per  cent. 
f  49.08  per  cent.  1 
X  50-56  per  cent.  J 
56.10  per  cent. 
71.30  per  cent. 
84.54  per  cent. 
f  80.40  per  cent.  1 
X  82.00  per  cent.  J 
The  above  table  shows  not  only  the  results  obtained  by  the 
foregoing  procedure,  but  also  results  by  distillation,  and  some  results 
by  the  Thorpe  and  Holmes  method. 
Attention  is  called  to  the  apparently  low  results  obtained  by  both 
the  distillation  method  and  the  Thorpe  and  Holmes  method.  It  is 
hoped  that  others  interested  in  alcohol  determinations  will  also  try 
the  modified  wine  method,  so  called,  and  report  their  results. 
In  conclusion,  attention  is  called  to  the  possibility  of  determining 
the  alcoholic  strength  of  the  final  distillate  by  means  other  than  that 
afforded  by  the  Westphal  balance : 
First,  by  other  means  of  determining  the  specific  gravity.  Dr. 
A.  B.  Lyons,  in  a  paper  presented  to  the  Scientific  Section  of  the 
A.  Ph.  A.  at  the  Hot  Springs  meeting,  described  a  method  in  which, 
by  simply  weighing  the  distillate  in  a  special  pyenometer,  and  con- 
sulting tables,  the  alcoholic  content  of  the  original  preparation,  at 
various  temperatures,  could  be  read  off  directly.  Inasmuch  as  the 
paper  did  not  attempt  to  provide  means  of  eliminating  the  difficulties 
