Table N shows the kind and number of foods other than milk examined, and Table O the kind and number of drugs. During the year a large number of analyses were made of tincture of iodine with the idea in view that the results would serve, in a measure at least, to form some idea of the care used by druggists in preparing drugs of this sort. Tincture of iodine is almost invariably prepared by the druggist himself, and is a preparation which is very easy to make correctly. The materials which enter into its composition are readily obtained in a state of satisfactory purity, and the finished preparation, when made according to the formula given in the Pharmacopoeia of 1900, is staple for a considerable length of time, Table P, which follows, gives the results of these analyses in some detail: TABLE P.-RESULTS OF ANALYSES OF SAMPLES OF TINCTURE OF IODINE. Number of samples of tincture of iodine examined. Number above the legal standard. Number containing no potassium iodide...... Number containing less than 3 gm. of potassium iodide in 100 ccm... Number containing below 4 gm. of iodine in 100 ccm... 311 249 62 69 20 18 118 78 13 22 55 125 74 22 An inspection of the table shows that sixty-nine samples, or 22.2 per cent. of the samples, contained no potassium iodide, which means that the druggists making them are still using the Pharmacopoeia of 1890, although the revision of 1900 has been in effect about two years. No explanation except gross carelessness can be made to account for the very wide divergence of a large number of the samples from the required amounts of iodine and potassium iodide. Experiments made in this laboratory show that a tincture made of good materials and with ordinary care such as should reasonably be expected of the average drug clerk, should not deviate more than 0.25 gm. per 100 cc. in either direction with respect to potassium iodide, and the amount of iodine should not be more than 0.1 gram per 100 ccm. greater than the amount required by the Pharmacopoeia nor more than 0.4 gram per 100 ccm. less. That is, a finished tincture containing from 4.75 to 5.25 gm. of potassium iodide per 100 ccm. and from 6.50 to 7.00 gm. of iodine may be regarded as a satisfactory approximation to the theoretical tincture. Calculating the results of the analyses made during the year on this basis, it has been found that sixty-two samples, or 19.9 per cent. of the total number, come within these requirements. If the permissible deviation from the standard be doubled in each case, an allowance which is certainly too great, the number falling within the limits is 107, or 34.4 per cent. of the total number. Report of State Sanitary Examiners. BY A. C. HUNT, M.D. To the Board of Health of the State of New Jersey: GENTLEMEN--The annual report of the State board of health for 1906 contains a statement as to the examinations of applicants for licenses as health officers and inspectors, which were held prior to December 5th, 1906. On December 5th, 1906, thirty-three applicants were examined and of this number the committee recommended that ten licenses be issued to health officers, eight to inspectors of the first class and three to plumbing inspectors. A special examination of applicants for license as meat inspectors was held December 17th, 1906. Two applicants were examined and the issue of one license was recommended. At the examination held June 5th, 1907, twenty-six applicants were examined. The committee recommended that licenses be issued to one health officer, six inspectors of the first class, one inspector of the third class and two plumbing inspectors. The following table shows the total number of persons examined to November 1st, 1907, and the total number of licenses issued: |