Glycerin; its Quality as it Exists in Commerce.

By JOSEPH P. REMINGTON, Philadelphia, Pa.

This powerful solvent and useful medicine, though but lately called from its seclusion in the cabinet in answer to the demands of this progressive age, has rapidly ingratiated itself into the esteem of the chemist, pharmacist, and the public at large.

It continues to widen its sphere of usefulness; we hear of new applications constantly; and its bland manners and insinuating disposition have won for it a host of friends, and an ever-increasing popularity.

It serves its mission as faithfully on the dressing-table of a lady as it does in our gas meters; as well as an excipient for pill masses as it does a substitute for molasses in printers' rollers, and its range of applications between these extremes is varied and extensive.

Its production, with a view to improve the quality and lower the price, has been attended with success, as we all know. A glycerin which will answer almost every purpose (except for internal administration), can be procured for twenty-five cents per pound; and one fit for any purpose for sixty cents per pound.

One of the principal reasons for bringing this matter before you, is to detail a comparative examination of the different brands in the market, which examination was at first undertaken for the writer's own satisfaction, but which may prove not uninteresting to the Association. Each glycerin was tested by the same reagent, in the same relative quantity, at the same time; and the effect carefully noted.

The glycerins, as they stood in their commercial attire before the examination, presented quite a contrast; the most pretentious was one of the latest comers into the market, De Haen's; which, from the size of the bottle would lead to the supposition that it contained more than a pound. This glycerin has attracted attention by reason of the free use of adjectives on the label, and on account of a vigorous attack on the propriety of using the adjectives by the editor of a trade journal.

Sarg's Pure Glycerin is put up in a very attractive style, the blue stencilled label and the refractive property of the glycerin contrast to very good advantage.

The American glycerins were in a plainer and neater dress, Bower's, Gordon's and Concentrated being put up in the usual glycerin bottle with a plain label.

.

.

The result will be found in the foregoing table.—Proc. Amer. Pharm. Assoc., 1870.

The American Journal of Pharmacy, Vol. XLIII, 1871, was edited by William Procter, Jr. (Issues 1-4) and John M. Maisch (Issues 5-12).