Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
October,  1909.  J 
British  Conference. 
491 
Bjorlund's  ether  test  was  used  as  a  preliminary,  and  the  results 
were  as  follows : 
Cooled  to  0°  C.  for  Clear  at  0°  C. 
3  minutes. 
1.  Genuine  cacao  butter   no  deposit  15 
2.  Husk  cacao  butter   no  deposit  14 
3.  'Hard  cacao-butter  substitute    flaky  deposit  15 
4.  Soft  cacao-butter  substitute    slight  deposit  21 
(still  cloudy) 
Further  determinations  were  carried  out. 
Refractometric  Examinations  of  Galenical  Preparations. 
By  W.  B.  Cowie  and  T.  O.  Broadbent. 
The  authors  give  a  method  for  detecting  adulterations  in  galen- 
icals by  the  determination  of  the  refractive  index.  They  claim  that 
the  refractive  index  agrees  with  the  specific  gravity  and  amount  of 
extractive. 
A  Preliminary  Examination  of  Euphorbia  Pilulifera. 
By  J.  Stableford  Hill. 
The  investigation  of  this  drug  by  the  author  seems  to  show  the 
presence  of  an  alkaloid,  tannic  acid,  a  waxy  substance,  several 
resins,  and  no  volatile  oil. 
His  method  for  determining  the  presence  of  an  alkaloid  was  as 
follows:  The  finely  powdered  drug  was  exhausted  with  Prollins's 
fluid,  and  the  solution,  after  concentrating,  treated  with  very  dilute 
sulphuric  acid ;  it  was  then  filtered,  washed  in  ether,  made  alkaline 
with  sodium  hydroxide,  and  shaken  out  with  a  mixture  of  ether 
(3  parts)  and  chloroform  (1  part).  The  residue  was  dissolved  in 
20  c.c.  of  0.2  per  cent,  sulphuric  acid  solution  and  tested  with  the 
usual  alkaloidal  reagents.  Thresh's  and  Mayer's  reagents  threw 
down  characteristic  precipitates. 
Note  on  the  Separation  of  Strychnine  from  Brucine. 
By  G.  Pinchbeck. 
The  author  gives  a  tabulation  of  the  results  obtained  by  various 
workers  who  used  the  U.S. P.  process,  including  work  done  by  him- 
self with  the  same  process.    He  then  gives  a  modification  of  the 
