THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



8.S 



surround the esplanade. The outside 

 walls of the palace are 375 feet by 192, 

 and when completed will be four stories 

 in height. K detailed description of the 

 gorgeousness of the castle and its sur- 

 roundings would pass too far the limits 

 of this article, but the imagination of the 

 reader may run riot and he will not be 

 far out of the way. Let him as a basis 

 take into consideration the ideallocation, 

 then the vast wealth of the owner, his 

 unquestioned taste and the renowned 

 abilities of his architects, a house of such 

 dimensions that it is possible to have in 

 it a banquet hall with ceilings sixty-five 

 feet high, a librarj^ as large as an ordi- 

 nary church, a reception hall into which 

 a city house could be easily put, stone 

 stairways so broad and massive that a 

 regiment could march down them, log- 

 gias with their score of richly carved 

 pillars and graceful arches, and all sur- 

 rounded b)' a private park of nearly 

 100,000 acres. In this tract will be a 

 grand arboretum, to contain every tree 

 species that can be grown in this lati- 

 tude, A careful record is being kept of 

 the treatment of each species, and the 

 whole shall stand as an example of sci- 

 entific forestry conducted under favor- 

 able auspices. It is the intention to 

 make the arboretum one of the finest in 

 existence. There are already in the 

 nursery more kinds of trees and shrubs 

 than there are in the botanical gardens 

 at Kew, and the collection is being 

 steadih' increased. The climate will 

 allow a larger variet}^ of trees than an^' 

 other large arboretum. The continua- 

 tion of this work at Biltmore along these 

 lines may ■ be expected to yield much 

 information of general value and materi- 

 ally assist in solving those problems 

 with which American forestry has yet to 

 deal. 



The other attractions to the members 

 of the American Pharmaceutical Associ- 



ation will be drives to Beaumont, Rich- 

 mond Hill, Connelly's, Sulphur Springs, 

 Gold View, Sunset Drive, and many other 

 places. To those who may wish to collect 

 specimens ofplants and minerals there will 

 be special interest, as the geological and 

 botanical studies of this part of the 

 country have fully revealed. As for the 

 scientific and educational interest of this 

 meeting the assiduous labors of the Chair- 

 man devoted these sections testifies. The 

 hotel accommodations are first-class and 

 charges are reasonable. So, taking every- 

 thing into consideration, a more desirable 

 place could not have been selected, and it 

 is believed that there will be a very large 

 attendance of members. 



THE nOST RECENT WORK. 



Aluminiuui for Laboratory Uses. — G. Rome- 

 mann, {Ahstr. Chem. Nezvs., 1894, 121). The 

 author shows the advantages of aluminium as 

 compared with other metals, especially sheet 

 copper. He points out its resistance to H^S, 

 hot and moist air, sulphuric and nitric acids 

 and the organic acids, its low specific gravity, 

 its high specific heat and its good conductivity 

 for heat and electricit3^ He compares an air 

 bath of aluminium during heating and cooling 

 with a copper air bath, showing that the former 

 is more easily heated and effects a more uni- 

 form internal distribution of heat. The metal 

 remains perfectly bright, and after being used 

 for three months it shows only a very slight 

 whitish coating. The exfoliation noticed in 

 copper does not occur here. The coating con- 

 sisted of alumina or basic aluminium sulphate. 

 The metal is scarcely attacked within by the 

 action of boiling water. After use for three 

 weeks a loss of weight could not be recognized. 

 Rings and clamps as supports proved satisfac- 

 tory. Sand baths and crucibles of aluminium 

 cannot be recommended as they are softened at 

 500°. Chimneys for burners and funnels for 

 hot water were satisfactory. 



Quinine in Pills. — Kurssteiner {Moniteur, 

 xliz'., 1423) prepares quinine in pilular form 

 by mixing intimately ten Gms. of quinine 

 sulphate and two each of citric acid, powdered 

 gum, and sugar of milk, then massing with 

 syrup. The pills are first rolled in starch 

 and afterwards in talc. — Pharin. Jour. Trans. 

 1894. 818. 



