^ptembe/ia^1'}  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  431 
temperature  suffer  a  loss  in  antitoxin  potency  of  from  10  per  cent, 
to  30  per  cent,  in  twelve  months,  while  when  kept  in  the  ice  chest 
the  loss  may  vary  from  o  per  cent,  to  5  per  cent,  or  10  per  cent. 
A  Xote  ox  the  Assay  of  Jalap  U.S. P. 
-   By  A.  H.  Clark. 
In  following  the  U.S. P.  directions  for  the  assay  of  jalap,  when 
the  resin  is  finally  extracted  from  the  alcoholic  percolate  with 
chloroform,  an  emulsion  invariably  forms  which  takes  from  twelve 
hours  to  two  or  three  days  to  separate  completely. 
The  U.S. P.  directs  that  the  drug  be  exhausted  with  ether  to 
obtain  ether-soluble  resin.,  then  directs  to  "  continue  the  percolation 
with  alcohol,'''  etc.,  to  obtain  the  alcohol-soluble  resin,  but  fails  to 
take  into  consideration  the  ether  still  remaining  in  the  drug.  If 
these  directions  are  followed  strictly  the  emulsion  above  referred  to 
invariably  forms.  If,  however,  the  ether  is  removed  before  con- 
tinuing the  percolation  with  alcohol  no  emulsion  forms  when  the 
percolate  is  mixed  with  chloroform  and  water  no  matter  how  vio- 
lently it  be  shaken,  and  complete  separation  takes  place  in  from 
one-half  to  one  hour. 
A  current  of  air  drawn  through  the  percolator  by  means  of  a 
filter  pump  for  a  few  minutes,  stirring  the  powder  with  a  glass 
rod  during  the  time,  is  a  convenient  method  of  removing  the  ether. 
If  a  filter  pump  is  not  available  the  powder  may  be  removed  to 
an  evaporating  dish  and  the  ether  allowed  to  evaporate  sponta- 
neously, returned  to  the  percolator,  and  the  operation  continued. 
The  Alkaloids  of  Mexispervium  Caxl\dense. 
By  H.  M.  Gordin. 
The  rhizome  and  roots  of  yellow  parilla  were  first  investigated 
by  Maisch.  He  reported  the  presence  of  a  small  quantity  of  ber- 
berine  and  of  a  white  alkaloid,  which  he  named  menispine.  Subse- 
quently the  drug  was  investigated  by  Barber,  Young,  and  Berkmeier. 
That  berberine  is  not  present  in  the  drug  in  detectable  quantities 
has  been  shown  by  the  author  in  a  previous  paper. 
The  author  conducted  the  following  preliminary  experiments : 
On  shaking  a  few  grammes  of  the  powdered  drug  with  ether, 
Altering  the  liquid  and  shaking  out  the  ethereal  solution  with  acidi- 
