passage of the current. Reactions under this head are usually carried out with gases or liquids in an apparatus under diminished pressure, and the reaction is usually induced by the passage of an electric spark or by wires or filaments heated to incandescence.

The third class of reactions, the electric-discharge reactions, is perhaps less well understood theoretically than either of the other classes. These reactions depend upon the silent or glow discharge of electricity, the same kind of discharge which is used in the preparation of ozone from oxygen, and in fact it is generally believed that the reactions produced by the silent discharge are primarily due to the formation of ozone, which being so much more active chemically than ordinary oxygen, causes the reaction to proceed.

Electric-discharge reactions always take place between gases, usually in a rarified condition, when they are accompanied by luminous appearances (glow discharges), which are frequently suited for investigations in spectrum analysis. The rise in temperature is so slight during such reactions that unstable or labile compounds are formed which could not exist at a higher temperature, and which are never formed during reactions produced by the spark from an induction coil.

Just how the electrical energy in these cases is consumed is unknown. It is supposed that the electric discharge which contains cathode and ultra-violet rays, introduces great quantities of kinetic energy into the system by the movement of electrons, and that then this kinetic energy is converted into chemical energy. In preparing ozone from oxygen under the most favorable conditions, only 15 per cent. of the total energy is utilized in the chemical reaction.

The results in all three classes of electrical reactions are influenced very materially by temperature, resistance, voltage and amperage of the current.

The reactions of electrolysis are up to the present time by far of most importance and several examples will illustrate the possibilities. In the electrolysis of the hydroxyl derivatives of the marsh gas series, oxidation products only are produced, hydrogen escaping at the cathode. Thus methyl alcohol in aqueous sulphuric acid solution yields methyl formate, methylal, methyl acetate, acetic acid, methylsulphuric acid, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. It has been possible, however, to electrolyze an aqueous sulphuric acid solution of methyl alcohol and obtain 80 per cent. of the current yield of formaldehyde, with only traces of formic acid and the two oxides of carbon. In this latter case certain conditions must be observed very carefully. While chloroform and bromoform cannot be obtained electrolytically from alcohol, iodoform can be very readily obtained in a yield of about 70 per cent. Calcined soda, potassium iodide, water and alcohol are placed in a porous cup with a platinum anode and a cathode of nickel is immersed in a strong solution of sodium hydroxide. The reaction is expressed by the equation CH,CH2OH+10I+H2O=CHI,-| CO2+7HI.

Chloral may be obtained, if alcohol is allowed to flow into the anode chamber of a cell during the electrolysis of a solution of potassium chloride. The nascent chlorine liberated at the anode acts on the alcohol producing chloral,

In the electrolysis of a dilute sulphuric acid solution of glycerin, there were obtained besides oxygen, hydrogen, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, trioxymethylene, formic acid, acetic acid, glyceric aldehyde, and a substance closely related to glucose, while in the electrolysis of an alkaline solution of glycerin there were obtained acrolein, acrylic acid, glyceric aldehyde, glyceric acid, graphitic acid, formic acid and propionic acid Glycerin illustrates well how deep-seated electrolytic decomposition may be and how varied its products may be.

Acetone is an interesting example as from it by electrolysis under different conditions may be obtained acetic acid, formic acid, mono- and dichloracetone, monobromacetone, isopropyl alcohol, pinacone, chloroform, bromoform and iodoform. If a sulphuric acid solution of acetone is electrolyzed, carbon dioxide, formic and acetic acids are obtained.

2H =

In an acid or alkaline solution using a lead cathode, acetone is reduced to isopropyl alcohol and pinacone, thus CH,COCH ̧ + 2H=CH,CH.OH.CH, and 2CH,COCH3 + CH,C.OH.CH, CH,C.OH.CH, a concentrated hydrochloric or hydrobromic acid solution of acetone, mono- and dichlorand monobromacetone are obtained. Chloroform may be obtained from acetone by electrolyzing a solution of sodium chloride in the presence of acetone under conditions that would continuously give the greatest yield of hypochlorite. Bromoform may be made quantitatively by subjecting acetone aud potassium bromide in aqueous solution to electrolysis. By substituting potassium iodide for the bromide, an almost theoretical yield of jodoform may be obtained. It is only necessary to neutralize the potassium hydroxide as fast as it is formed.

Merck has taken out a patent on this process. By electrolyzing

Chloral hydrate yielded upon electrolysis chlorine at the anode and acetaldehyde at the cathode, a diaphragm being used.

The aromatic series of compounds affords many illustrations of electrolysis. Thus if a mixture of benzene and sulphuric acid is electrolyzed using lead peroxide anodes and lead cathodes, quinone is first produced at the anode and is then reduced to hydroquinone at the cathode. This example is especially interesting as oxygen is introduced directly into the benzene nucleus.

Of all the organic compounds which have been tested electrolytically, the aromatic nitro compounds have received the most accurate treatment and are most important, because, being easily reducible, the reaction takes place only at the cathode and because the nitro group can develope so many reduction phases, depending on the conditions of the experiment. It is possible to pass from nitrobenzene to nitrosobenzene to phenylhydroxylamine to aniline with azoxybenzene, azobenzene and hydrazobenzene as intermediate products. The quantity of each product formed will depend upon the nature of the electrolyte, the cathode material and the current conditions.

Another interesting example is thymol, which in alkaline solution with potassium iodide yields by electrolysis dithymoldiiodide or aristol. In a similar manner the iodides of beta-naphthol, phenol, resorcin, salicylic acıd, cresotinic acid, carvacrol, etc., may be obtained.

These illustrations of the electrolysis of organic compounds might be multiplied much further, but time does not permit. Electrothermic and electric discharge reactions have not been studied as closely and are not as important as the reactions of electrolysis and a very few illustrations of each will suffice. Thus, induction sparks decompose methane into carbon and hydrogen and act upon gaseous mixtures of oxygen and alcohol, of hydrogen and carbon dioxide, of methane and carbon dioxide to form formic and acetic acids.

Under the influence of the silent electric discharge, carbon dioxide and water yield formic acid and oxygen which becomes ozonized and produces hydrogen peroxide. Berthelot has found that the silent electric discharge causes carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide to condense with an excess of hydrogen to form carbohydrates. In general the action of the silent discharge upon hydrocarbons, alcohols, etc., is to decompose them into simple gases.

It has of course been impossible in this brief review to touch on all the phases of the electro-chemistry of organic compounds and I have selected only what seemed to me to be the most striking illustrations, but I think that no one can fail to be impressed with the tremendous field which is opened up for research and which will prove not merely interesting but remunerative.

Before concluding, I desire to express my thanks to the other officers of the section and my appreciation of their hearty co-operation in the work of the past year.

The Address of the Chairman was applauded, and on motion of Mr. O. F. Claus, seconded by Mr. H. A. B. Dunning, was ordered received and referred for publication.

Mr. Caspari resumed the chair and called for reports from committees, designating the Committee on Ebert Prize as the first to make report. Mr. Puckner made report for the committee as follows:

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON EBERT PRIZE.

It is stipulated by the donor that the Ebert Prize is to be awarded for the best contribution concerning an original investigation of a medicinal substance, determining new properties, or containing other meritorious contribution to knowledge; or for improved methods of determined merit for the preparation of chemical or pharmacal products. This excluded from our consideration the report of Schaer, of the University of Strassburg, of the vast amount of work done in investigating the influences of alkaline substances on oxidation processes, and also the contribution of Kebler and Hoover on the analysis of emulsions, a paper of much practical value to pharmacy.

In 1904 the Committee appointed to award this prize recommended to the consideration of future committees a contribution to the chemistry of chelidonine by J. O. Schlotterbeck and H. C. Watkins. Your Committee believes that the further contribution to the chemistry of this interesting body by J. O. Schlotterbeck, merits the recognition of this Section, and, therefore, recommends that the Ebert Prize be awarded to the authors of the paper: "Contribution to the Chemistry of Chelidonine." Respectfully submitted,

W. A. PUCKNER,
C. S. N. HALLBerg,
A. B. LYONS.

On motion of Mr. Coblentz, seconded by Mr. Claus, the report was received and adopted.

The Chair called for report of the Committee on Drug Adulteration, stating that this committee was made a standing committee last year, by virtue of a recommendation of Chairman Gane, of this Section, and stated that in the absence of Mr. Patch, Chairman, Mr. Kebler would present the report, which he did in abstract, the report being too long to be read in full. The text of the report here follows:

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON DRUG ADULTERATIONS.

Personally, your chairman has objected to the above caption, much preferring the old title of Committee on the Drug Market. Adulteration as such, with intent, is quite rare; deficiency in strength, accidental variation from standard and deterioration are more common. It creates a wrong and unfavorable impression in the public mind to have each slight impairment or deficiency, or wrong labelling, advertised as an adulteration. I am aware that the pure food laws, including the National Law, so rule and declare adulteration to include error in labelling, whether accidental or intentional, deterioration and impairment; but the Committee on Publicity should embrace every opportunity in conjunction with the proper committee of the N. A. R. D. to educate the public to the true facts in the case. The adoption of the last edition of both the U. S. P. and National Formulary as legal standards will greatly enlarge the possibility of technical adulteration, for after exercising all care possible innumerable occasions will

arise where an over-zealous, prejudiced or injudicious official can cause serious harm to pharmacy and pharmacists.

There are many cases where such an official might argue upon the absolute inviolability of the text and some cases where the analyst would not be experienced enough in the standard method to be a reliable witness for the prosecution. A very few illustrations out of many that occur to your committee may not be out of place.

Glycerite of the phosphates of iron, quinine and strychnine is assumed to be a liquid by the U. S. P. We have yet to find a sample that remains liquid. It has been repeatedly made with the use of market products which carefully tested met the U. S. P. requirements, and has been made with freshly prepared soluble ferric phosphate U. S. P. and an equivalent of freshly prepared monohydrated quinine. On standing all solidify. Only a slight increase of temperature is required to linquefy it, but every lot of solid sold, made with the exact ingredients, differs in appearance from the officially described product and would be classed as an adulteration.

The formula for the syrup of phosphates of iron, quinine and strychnine calls for the mixture of one volume of this glycerite and three volumes of syrup. In the directions to "mix and strain if necessary" we have an intimation that something may be strained out. If the glycerite is freshly made and before it solidifies is mixed with the syrup, on standing a short time there is a decided precipitate in the syrup and if the pharmacist strained it, as he might assume he should by the U. S. P. directions, the product would be impaired in strength enough to make another adulteration.

It is possible that the pharmacist does not note that the soluble ferric phosphate is the sodium salt of U. S. P. 7th revision and not the ammonium salt frequently sold as U. S. P. Should he use the latter and secure a more permanent product the discovery of ammonia in the product brands it as adulterated.

The quinine called for is the trihydrated alkaloid. Market salts may contain from 12 to 22 per cent. excess of water and should the pharmacist not estimate the relation of his purchase to the U. S. P. standard his glycerite would not yield the full amount of alkaloid and be branded as adulterated.

A physician prescribes suppositoria glycerini U. S. P.
What will he get? How much are they to weigh?

The standard size of rectal suppositories is about 2 Gm. One would conclude that the material ordered made into ten suppositories would weigh about 2 Gm. A good object lesson is to give this formula to ten different operators and note results, giving to each man the same material all previously tested and found to be U. S. P. in quality. They read" heat the mixture carefully until CO, ceases to be evolved and the liquid is clear." One decides that 15 minutes meets these requirements; others prolong the heating: Giving each 1125 Gm. of material to make 300 suppositories by the different degrees of heating and methods of manipulation, the mass shrinks anywhere from 125 to 400 Gm. in weight and the products all vary in density and opacity. Poured into a mould that makes a cacao butter suppository weighing about 2 Gm. the glycerin suppositories weigh about 2.7 Gm. Which of these ten products must be used to pronounce all the others adulterations?

Submit a sample of belladonna leaf to five men for assay by the U. S. P. 1900 process and try to harmonize the results. You learn that in using hematoxylin indicator it makes a difference whether a fresh or old solution is used. Using this or iodeosin, the carefulness in reading the reaction varies. If this variation is to be impressed on our attention it might be well to authorize our Scientific Section to send samples of the same belladonna leaf and of the same lot of fluidextract of hyoscyamus to the various State Boards and the Drug Laboratory at Washington, after first having them assayed by each individual member of the sub-committee of the U. S. P. Committee on Revision.

Tincture of arnica is now to be made by the crude method of maceration and expres

sion with no alternative. Is it an adulteration if made by percolation and thoroughly exhausted? What is the standard? If the drng varies in yielding from 15 to 25 per cent. extract to diluted alcohol, how shall we determine whether the products are correct. without examining each lot of drug used? 229 samples were examined by the New York Committee of Adulteraton and 9 found deficient. What was their standard? In view of the wide variation of drugs in extractive, determined by locality, character of season, time collected, percentage of moisture present, etc., can we establish a practical standard? We know that the percentage of alkaloid in alkaloidal drugs bears no relation to extractive. A drug high in extractive may be low in alkaloid and one high in alkaloid low in extractive. May it not be true that a non-alkaloidal drug low in extractive may be much more active than one high in extractive? May not the proportion of inert soluble starches, sugars, coloring principles, salts, etc., be preponderating in some samples?

What is the pharmacist to do with petrolatum? The Standard Oil Company states that it does not make a product that will meet the sulphuric acid test. Only the waterwhite Russian product meets this test and we have not found a sample of this product of U. S. P. melting-point.

There is much variance of opinion as to the relative value of the light-colored para copaiba and the darker C. A. varieties. Some physicians insist on having the para dispensed. Twenty-three samples from different sources ranged in resin from 30 to 48 per cent. and all met all other U. S. P. tests. The U. S. P. requires 50 per cent. resin Must we conclude that every pharmacist dispensing para copaiba is an adulterator liable to $500.00 fine and one year's imprisonment?

E. H. Gane reports a lot of para copaiba testing as pure by all tests, but yielding only 16 per cent. of resin, hard, brittle and having all the properties of genuine copaiba resin. Many retail pharmacists have been arrested, fined, branded as adulterators and their business injured for supplying distilled water below the standard. Under the U. S. P., 1890, it was adulterated if it gave any residue. By the U. S. P., 1900, it may have 0.075 residue per liter and not be adulterated. If the water supply of any city or town does not meet the requirements of the U. S. P. under " aqua," must the pharmacist use distilled water only in all cases?

Your Committee believe the enactment of the pure food and drug laws should prove very beneficial to the public, the pharmacist and the physician. It has been a great annoyance for the pharmacist and physician and a direct injury to the public to have such a wide variation in products under the same name.

For thirty years the menstruum for fluidextract of cimicifuga has been strong alcohol. As supplied by various manufacturing houses it has ranged from 50 per cent. to 91 per cent. and in some cases contained glycerin. A physician prescribes oil of gaultheria in fluidextract of cimicifuga and expects the proportion he orders will dissolve in the 91 per cent, alcohol to a clear solution, and it should. The pharmacist dispenses a product with a 50 per cent. menstruum and possibly glycerin, and the oil settles at the bottom of the bottle, or is imperfectly suspended, dependent upon the proportion of alcohol and glycerin.

The market fluidextracts of viburnum prunifolium range from 20 per cent. to 60 per cent. Fluidextract of aromatic powder from 46 per cent. to 91 per cent. A druggist purchases a 46 per cent. product from one maker, adds it to a 91 per cent. product from another and spoils both by precipitation. He is as liable to blame the 91 per cent. man for the fault as the 46 per cent. man.

Sixty per cent. of the fluidextracts from one source contained glycerin, although it is well known that it had no solvent value in the majority of cases. It replaced alcohol, gave products of greater density, gave larger and misleading amounts of extractive by evaporation and pleased many buyers. Under the new law all this will be stopped. If