kitwZL*im?:}    State  Pharmaceutical  Associations.  545 
will  be  found  that  will  answer  the  requirements.  The  writer  says 
that  the  volume,  of  undecomposed  material  remaining  after  a  half 
hour's  standing  should  be  taken  as  the  index  of  the  amount  of 
foreign  oils  of  this  character. 
Oil  of  Thyme. — Except  for  the  necessity  for  a  burette  in  esti- 
mating the  separation  of  non-phenol  oil  remaining  after  decomposi- 
tion with  sodium  hydroxide,  no  unusual  apparatus  is  needed. 
The  author  goes  on  to  say  that  of  the  thirty-four  volatile  oils 
in  the  Pharmacopoeia,  only  ten  require  apparatus  or  skill  not  usually 
possessed  by  the  pharmacist.  Even  when  an  oil  answers  all  tests 
the  pharmacist  should  make  its  last  analysis  be  its  physical  attributes 
of  odor  and  flavor. — N.  J.  Pharm.  Assoc. 
The  Rapidity  of  Volatilization  of  Camphor. 
By  Charles  H.  LaWall. 
"  Manufacturers  of  such  preparations  as  camphorated  oil  and 
spirits  of  camphor,  whose  products  are  found  to  be  below  strength, 
frequently  attempt  to  defend  themselves  against  the  charge  of  wil- 
fully violating  the  law  by  claiming  that  the  deficiency  in  strength 
has  been  caused  by  volatilization  of  the  camphor  in  the  preparation, 
owing  to  its  having  stood  on  the  shelves  for  a  long  time."  The 
author  states  that  in  order  to  determine  if  the  foregoing  is  true 
he  undertook  a  few  experiments  for  determining  the  rapidity 
of  the  volatilization  of  camphor  and  preparations  of  it.  Camphor, 
both  powdered  and  lump,  was  exposed  to  the  atmosphere  in  a  large 
closet.    The  following  tabulation  gives  the  results : 
Lump  Camphor — Amount  taken,  3.853  Gm. 
Loss  after  24  hours,  0.060  Gm.,  or    1.56  per  cent. 
Loss  after    4  days,  0.337  Gm.,  or    8.74  per  cent. 
Loss  after  14  days,  0.904  Gm.,  or  23.46  per  cent. 
Loss  after  28  days,  1.670  Gm.,  or  43.34  per  cent. 
Loss  after  45  days,  2.387  Gm.,  or  61.95  per  cent. 
Powdered  Camphor — Amount  taken,  2.00  Gm. 
Loss  after  24  hours,  0.176  Gm.,  or  8.8  per  cent 
Loss  after  4  days,  0.666  Gm.,  or  33.3  per  cent. 
Loss  after  14  days,  1.674  Gm.,  or  83.7  per  cent. 
Loss  after  20  days,  1.998  Gm.,  or  99.9  per  cent. 
