the Pennsylvania Pharmaceutical Association meeting at Glen Summit, on June 26th, 27th and 28th.

ABSTRACTS FROM THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

December 5, 1905.-Thirteen members were present. The Committee on Instruction reported that they were engaged on the subject of entrance exami

nations.

The Committee on Examinations recommended that a list of suitable books be prepared for the use of students in preparation for entrance examinations, and that the list be published in the next announcement. This list of books is to be suggested by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

A communication was read from Dr. C. P. Franklin, Assistant Medical Director of the Garretson Hospital, offering the use of the hospital to the students whenever so needed.

January 2, 1906.-Thirteen members were present.

The Committee on Library reported numerous additions to the library by presentation, purchase, and exchange.

The chairman of the Board, in calling attention to the recent gifts, stated the necessity for better protection for our valuable books and suggested that arrangements be made for such protection. The suggestion met with approval and was referred to a joint committee consisting of the Committee on Property and Committee on Library.

Mr. Cliffe, on behalf of the State Board of Pharmacy, expressed their appreciation of the courtesies extended by the Board of Trustees in allowing them the use of rooms in the College in which to conduct their examinations.

February 6, 1906.-Fifteen members were present. It was voted that in future the Seal of the College be attached on Certificates of Proficiency in Chemistry. The Committee on Library reported a number of accessions to the library.

The Committee on Instruction reported very fully the requirements necessary for admission to the College, including list of books and studies. This report will be published in the forthcoming Announcement. Mr. Leedom, on behalf of the Philadelphia Association of Retail Druggists, expressed the thanks of the Association for courtesies extended by the Board of Trustees.

Special Meeting, February 19, 1906.—Eleven members were present. The chairman stated that the meeting was called to take action upon the death of Edward T. Dobbins, who, for the past six years was a member of the Board. Remarks were made by Messrs. French, Remington, Boring and others, relative to Mr. Dobbins' active life and his interest in the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy.

It was moved that the Board of Trustees attend the funeral services from his late residence, 1808 South Rittenhouse Square, on Tuesday, February 20th; also that appropriate resolutions be drawn by a committee of three, and a copy be sent to the family. This was agreed to, and the chairman appointed Messrs. Remington, French and Shoemaker.

CHARLES A. WEIDEMANN, M.D.,
Recording Secretary.

THE AMERICAN

JOURNAL OF PHARMACY

JUNE, 1906.

AMERICAN PHARMACOPEIA.

THE PHARMACOPIA OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, EIGHTH DECENNIAL REVISION.

A Contribution from SCHIMMEL & Co., Leipzig.'

The new edition of the American Pharmacopoeia has deservedly met with general approbation. There are everywhere evidences of a serious effort to make the widest possible use of the achievements of science; particularly is this the case in the directions for testing. This also applies especially to the essential oils, which are mostly described in detail in such manner that the American Pharmacopoeia may in this respect be characterized to a certain extent as typical. This favorable opinion of the whole does not preclude that some statements made in the Pharmacopoeia are not correct, and also that several directions for testing call for criticism. For the sake of expediency, we will first of all discuss the specific gravities required by the Pharmacopoeia, in a connected form, and then deal with the oils themselves.

As already mentioned by us in our Report of October, 1905, p. 74, the new American Pharmacopoeia does not indicate these specific gravities of the essential oils, as is usually done, at

15°

25°

150 This rule has induced us to determine for all essential oils

but at

15° 15°

25° 250,

so as to form an opinion whether

25°° included in the Pharmacopoeia, the differences existing between the

specific gravities at and at

'Printed from advance sheets of the Semi-annual Report of Schimmel & Co., April-May, 1906.

and in how far the limits of value given in the Pharmacopoeia agree with those obtained at 15°. We have here in several cases found more or less considerable differences. For the purpose of a better review, we have combined the results obtained in a tabulated form (p. 256). The limits of value given in the American Pharmacopoeia, which do not agree with ours, are printed in italic type. These limits printed thus cannot and should not in our opinion be accepted as such, for they are inconsistent with the values fixed for 15°, and are consequently incorrect. Differences of I in the third decimal. figure have been left out of account, as they lie within the limits of error. We would still mention that the differences between the specific gravities determined at

15°
15°

and at 25°
as given by us, agree
250'

well on the whole with those ascertained previously by Schreiner and Downer,1 and also that the average value of these differences is the same as that found by those authors, viz. 0.00064 per degree of temperature,

Of alcohols, the American Pharmacopoeia recognizes a strong alcohol of 949 per cent. by volume (Alcohol), and a weak one of 48.9 per cent. by volume (Alcohol dilutum). In the following pages the former is designated simply as "alcohol."

3.

ANISE OIL (Oleum anisi).—Colorless or faintly yellow; d250 0975 to 0.985; ap250-203; solidifying point not below +15°; soluble in an equal volume alcohol and in 5 vol. 90 per cent. alcohol.

BENZALDEHYDE (Benzaldehydum).-Colorless liquid, strongly refractive, with at least 85 per cent. pure benzaldehyde ; do about 1·045; ap±0°; boiling point 179 to 180°; soluble in alcohol in every proportion; test for absence of chlorinated products.

BITTER ALMOND OIL (Oleum amygdala amara).—Colorless or yellow; content of benzaldehyde at least 85 per cent.; content of hydro

1 Phar. Archives 4 (1901), 165. Report April, 1902, 80.

2 The upper limit of value should be o'988, as otherwise especially the oils richest in anethol, and consequently the most valuable anise oils, could not be used. Comp. also the table (p. 256).

3 This should read: up to 2°.

According to the method of determination by means of neutral sodium sulphite indicated by the Pharmacopoeia, we found it impossible to obtain even approximately satisfactory results; for this reason, we greatly doubt the usefulness of this method.

cyanic acid between 2 and 4 per cent.;1 d250 1045 to 1.060;2 a± 0°;3 boiling point about 180°; soluble in every proportion in alcohol, also in an equal volume 70 per cent. alcohol; test for absence of chlorinated products.

CAJEPUT OIL (Oleum cajuputi).—-Colorless or greenish, cineolcontent at least 55 per cent. by volume; d250 0915 to 925;6 lævorotatory, apo not above 2°;7 soluble in every proportion in alcohol, also in I part 80 per cent. alcohol.

CAMPHOR (Camphora).—White, transparent mass; d250 0 990; a, to the right; melting point 175°; boiling point 204°.

CARAWAY OIL (Oleum cari).—Colorless or pale yellow; d.50 0905 to 0.915; ap250 + 70 to +80°; soluble in an equal volume alcohol, and in 3 to 10 volumes 80 per cent. alcohol.

CASSIA OIL (Oleum cinnamomi).—Yellowish or brownish; content of cinnamic aldehyde at least 75 per cent. by volume; d250 1045 to

1 Such a content of hydrocyanic acid cannot always be guaranteed.

The specific gravity given is for a temperature of 15°, but it should be taken into consideration that even in the case of absolutely normal oils, it often amounts to 1'070; for 25° the following figures apply: 1038 to 1063 (comp. table.

3 Occasionally a feeble optical activity is also observed.

'Of 70 per cent. alcohol 1 to 2 volumes are required to dissolve the oil.

5 The estimation of cineol is accomplished by means of phosphoric acid in the following manner: 10 c.c. oil are dissolved in 50 c.c. petroleum ether, and to the well cooled solution (freezing mixture) is gradually added, whilst stirring, concentrated phosphoric acid, until the white compound separating off acquires a yellowish (or reddish) shade. The crystalline mass is then filtered off with a suction pump, washed with petroleum ether, pressed to remove the last liquid portions, and decomposed with water. The cineol separated off is estimated volumetrically and the percentage calculated.

We have again convinced ourselves by estimations of mixtures of a known cineol-content, that this method does not always give reliable results. This applies specially to oils less rich in cineol; for example, in mixtures of 50 per cent., the content of cineol found was up to 8 per cent. too little, although we endeavored by different small improvements, to avoid sources of error as much as possible. For this reason, the cineol estimations can only lay claim to approximate accuracy.

8

6 As lower limit of value, 0913 is to be recommended (comp. table).

1 With pure distillates, we have observed rotations up to

2° 40'.

The specific gravity given applies to a temperature of 15°; it should read: do 0.899 to o'909 (comp. table).

"Only the rectified oil answers the requirements given.

1055 ao between 1° and +1°; soluble in 2 volumes 70 per cent. alcohol.

The limits of value given for rose oil were based upon those in force for

CHENOPODIUM OIL (Oleum chenopodi).—Colorless or yellow, d about 965 to 0.085; lævorotatory, a not above 5°1;3 soluble in 5 volumes 70 per cent. alcohol.

The upper limit of value given is slightly too low; it should be 1'059 (comp. table).

2 The Pharmacopoeia here quite correctly only requires approximate values, as oil of chenopodium is extremely variable owing to its content of a constituent which decomposes very readily; this also causes changes in the specific gravity.

3 We have observed with good commercial oils, rotations up to 6°.