creeps over the edges of the capsule badly and no good result can be reached. But if evaporated in a hot-air bath as directed, or in any way that the sides and edges of the capsule may be kept hot, this creeping does not occur. An ordinary water bath without water, the capsule being set in on a block of wood, answers a very good purpose, because the scorching of the wood will be a good indicator, if the heat gets too high. In this part of the process care must be taken that the ether vapor does not take fire. When evaporated to 10 grammes as ascertained by trying on a scale from time to time, the ether is nearly all gone and a solution of the alkaloids in amylic alcohol remains. One prominent object of the next step of the process-namely, the washing out of the alkaloids. from the amylic alcohol as oxalates-is to free them from waxy and fatty matters always extracted from the bark by all solvents which effect a complete exhaustion. In washing out the alkaloids these waxy and fatty matters are left in solution in the amylic alcohol,. and with it are thrown away. As the salts of the alkaloids are not soluble in amylic alcohol, a definite quantity of solution of oxalic acid being added, the alkaloids are washed out of the amylic alcohol as acid oxalates. But they are rather difficult to wash out completely, and hence three washings are directed. If close results are not needed, two washings are sufficient. In pouring the amylic alcohol back from the filter into the flask, over the edge of the filter and funnel, a little dexerity is required, and the rim of the funnel must always be somewhat above the filter in order to be quite successful. The double filter well wetted with water, and kept well wetted, retains the amylic alcohol very well, while the watery solution drains off to the last drop. But should there be any minute holes in the paper, or should the paper not be kept well wetted, a very little of the amylic alcohol may get through, but if so, it does not matter, for it will go off with the vapor in the subsequent evaporation. The solution of the oxalates is too dilute for precipitation, and as it is not acid enough to injure the alkaloids by heat, it is evaporated to 30 grammes. As this solution has no tendency to creep, the evaporation is best done on a water-bath. In the next step the alkaloids are precipitated in the presence of chloroform, and it makes a very notable difference in the result if commercial or impure chloroform be used, hence purified chloroform is directed. Having used in all 5 c.c. of normal solution of oxalic acid in converting the alkaloids into acid oxalates, it is only necessary now to add 5.1 c.c. of normal solution of sodium in

order to be sure that the precipitation is complete to an alkaline reaction, yet without a sufficient excess of sodium to hold the alkaloids from the chloroform, and hence the use of these normal solutions is important as well as very convenient. After a thorough shaking, the now free alkaloids are all dissolved in the chloroform, and it is only necessary to separate this completely in order to get them all. Here again a wet filter becomes a most complete and convenient mode of separation. The watery solution of oxalate of sodium goes through to the last drop, but not a particle of chloroform passes if the paper be good, and here a double filter is not needed; neither is it necessary to wash the filter very much. In the chloroform separation of the alkaloids a film of impurities, soluble in neither liquid, is apt to be present between the two liquids. This is often hardly a weighable quantity, and when small may be neglected and the chloroform solution be at once transferred to the tared capsule for evaporation. But in close estimates it is easily separated in the way prescribed by filtration of the chloroform solution through a chloroform-wetted filter into the capsule. This chloroform-wetted filter not only excludes these impurities, but also any water that may drain out of the water-wetted filter. A pin-hole made in the point of the waterwetted filter is a very good way of transferring from one filter to the other. As the chloroform solution has no tendency to creep it may be quickly evaporated on a water bath, leaving the alkaloids of a light brown color and very easily brought to a constant weight.

Such

For a very rough estimation of the value of cinchona bark, the amylic alcohol solution, directly from the lime and bark, may be evaporated to dryness, but it creeps badly and is very difficult to dry to a constant weight, giving results which are too high. an estimation may be made in about three hours, and with a set of ascertained corrections to apply may often be very useful where many samples have to be examined in a short time, and with a low degree of accuracy.

The more elaborate process, as above given, requires nearly a day for satisfactory completion, and after a little experience with it, it becomes very convenient and trustworthy.

In the investigations made for the purposes of this paper some points are deserving of mention to save others from going over the same ground. Ordinary ethylic alcohol is an excellent solvent for the alkaloids, especially at a boiling temperature, and dissolves them either in their natural combinations, or when set free by lime or so

dium, and in the use of it the powder well soaked with either hot water, or sodium solution, or lime solution, need not be dried before the alcohol is applied. But the alcohol extracts so much coloring matter and other constituents of the bark that are not desirable that its use is inferior to amylic alcohol. Strong ether alone applied to the dried mixture with lime, is an excellent solvent under pressure and with heat, but it is inconvenient and may be dangerous under the needed pressure, while in the cold it requires so large a quantity of the solvent as to overcome its other advantages. The alkaloids equally require to be washed out from ether, since it dissolves quite as much wax and fat from the bark as do other solvents.

OPIUM ASSAYS.

It has been suggested that the information given in the EPHEMERIS upon Opium and Opium assays would be rendered more complete by some account of the higher and lower grades with which the New York market is supplied. From the facts shown in the previous notes it will be seen that except in rare instances where the inspectors at the Custom House are deceived, no Opium comes into this market containing less than 9 per cent. of morphia, and that if 9 per cent. Opium be dried and powdered it will yield a powder containing about 11.25 per cent. of morphia. Hence this is probably the lowest grade of Opium which is honestly supplied to the market, while perhaps four-fifths of the total supply is considerably above this. But it is generally, though somewhat indefinitely known that any reasonable quantity of pow dered Opium may be had of a much lower quality. If this be true, --and it can hardly be doubted-it is equally true that any buyer who chooses to do so, can easily avoid these low grades, at least so far as this market is concerned, for they are produced by direct adulteration in powdering, and it is easy to avoid the channels through which such drugs are reached. Not so, however, with other markets all over the country which are supplied from this market, because, as these supplies are too often governed entirely by price, the lowest price will usually sell the goods. It is very easy to see from known facts in regard to this article, how the large, dis

tant inland cities can compete with the sea-board market in drugs. Suppose that a 9 per cent. Opium be adulterated in powdering only just enough to pay for the transportation and risks-and this would be a very mild adulteration indeed, and one that would require a careful assay to detect-the powder could be sold in a distant city at the same price and with the same profit which the same Opium would yield if sold unadulterated at the sea-board. Such practices are extremely difficult to detect, and still harder to prove, but if they be not carried on to a very considerable extent the general indications of them are very delusive, and the business instincts and enterprises of the age are not to be trusted. It is not, however, to be inferred that good powdered Opium cannot be had in distant cities; and that by all buyers who really want it, but only that it cannot be had at less than sea-board prices plus the cost and risk of transportation. And farther, when Opium or any other foreign drug, either powdered or not, is offered in distant cities at sea-board prices, without cost of transportation, etc., it is about as safe an evidence of adulteration or inferior quality as any ordinary assay would be. No one can sell drugs without profit; and now-a-days buyers are pretty much all upon the same basis as to opportunity, no one buyer having cheaper sources of supply than all others, quality being equal. But ascertained quality being set aside, statements and appearances being depended on, and price being made the primary. consideration after statements and appearances have been accepted, then some dealers can buy much "better," that is, more cheaply, or at lower prices than others. Thus, if 11.25 per cent. of morphia be the poorest Opium that can be admitted into this country (9 per cent. in the moist condition), then any powdered Opium found that is below that strength must be adulterated in powdering, and if such Opium be wanted, and be sought for, it can always be found at prices correspondingly low. Yet it must be sought for actively and in the direct interests of pecuniary gain, and the buyer who seeks it must be known, and known to want it in the regular channels of trade, as "very close buyers" are known to want cheap articles for large profits. Hence any one who wants low priced powdered Opium for examination with any chance of the results being reported, is not likely to be able to find it. This has been found to be one of the greatest obstacles in carrying out adulteration laws in other countries. One officer finds but little to complain of. All his samples on examination, both of food and medicine, are of very fair quality, and his reports are, therefore, favorable. Another officer,

who has taken more pains and better means to get his samples, finds his reports less favorable, while another who adopts a sharp wellmanaged detective system, often succeeds in finding a very different set of samples, and upon them makes a fairer representation of this branch of trade. The writer has no means of reaching this branch of trade in powdered Opium here, nor is it easily reached for such purposes as he now has in view by any one, and the nearer to the source of the adulteration the more difficult is the undertaking. All that could be done was to send to four houses known to be engaged in a pretty sharp competition for the cheaper trade of the market and buy samples of powdered Opium for dispensing uses. One house sold at 55c. per avoirdupois ounce. Two others at 50c. and the fourth at 45c. This is at the rate of $8.80, $8.00 and $7.20 per pound, all of which are fair prices, and afford a fair profit on a fair quality. These samples when assayed gave respectively, and in the order just named for price, 11.4, 12.2, 13.4 and 13.6 per cent. of morphia, the average being 12.6 per cent. These were, therefore, all made from moist Opium which contained over 9 per cent. The average of these samples is but 0.9 per cent. below the average (13.52 per cent.) of eight samples as given in a former note, which samples came from sources estimated as supplying 75 to 80 per cent. of the powdered Opium sold to dispensing stores in the neighborhood of New York. Therefore, this powdered Opium by its inferior morphia strength was just 43c. per pound dearer than the average of the better sources of the market. By this it would appear that no powdered Opium can be easily had in this market containing less than 9.5 per cent. of morphia (see previous note), and this the only instance out of twelve that was manifestly adulterated, and the only one which when calculated back to the moist condition represented an Opium of less than 9 per cent.

The higher grades of Opium which come into this market under various names, and which can always be easily had when wanted, are really the cheapest Opiums that are sold, as they are very commonly offered at 25 to 50c. per pound above the ordinary market price. The assay of 16 cases of these Opiums of higher quality give an average of just 16 per cent. of morphia, which is about equal to 13 per cent. in the moist Opium. This in all probability is the Opium upon which the doses of the older standard authorities are based.

If powdered Opium containing 14 per cent. of morphia, be sold at $8.00 per pound, one containing 16 per cent. is worth $9.00,