194 
BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL CONFERENCE. 
to any of them who visited the West for the purpose of attending its congress 
in 1869. 
Mr. J. Raymond King presented himself as a delegate from the chemists of 
Bath, and regretted his inability to be present at the first sitting. He hoped 
that the Conference would go westward next year. The meeting of the Con¬ 
ference held in Bath four years since had left good results behind it, and would 
long be recollected with satisfaction. 
Mr. Savage, of Brighton, said that although the town which he represented 
was a candidate for the meeting of the British Association, yet he feared it 
would have to wait until 1870 for that honour, and then he trusted the Con¬ 
ference would also meet at Brighton. 
Professor Attfield was authorized to state that the invitation received 
last 3 r ear from Liverpool w r as to be considered a standing one until the British 
Association visited that town. The resolution embodying the request was as 
follows :— 
“ That the Council of the Liverpool Chemists’ Association will welcome the British 
Pharmaceutical Conference, if it should accompany the British Association in its antici¬ 
pated visit to Liverpool, and will use every effort to render its visit successful.” 
In accordance with the usual custom, the decision upon the meeting of next 
year was postponed to a future day, when it might be known definitely at what 
place the British Association would hold its meeting for 1869. 
The reading of papers was then resumed. 
GRANULAR CITRATE OE MAGNESIA. 
BY F. C. CLAYTON. 
In bringing before the Pharmaceutical Conference a few notes on this sub¬ 
ject, I must apologize for not having made my investigations so minute as 
could have been wished ; but as there seemed no prospect of making them 
more complete by delay during another year, I submit them at the present 
meeting. 
Granular citrate of magnesia has been an article of commerce for something 
over ten years, and a very interesting paper on it will be found in the ‘ Phar¬ 
maceutical Journal,’ vol. i. 2nd series, pp. 301-304, together with a discussion 
that took place on its being read at one of the evening meetings at Blooms¬ 
bury Square. The remarks there made upon its composition and mode of 
preparation are still to a large degree correct; but having had considerable 
experience in its manufacture, and also of comparing notes with other makers, 
it may be well to go over the ground de novo, first making a few remarks upon 
its name. 
At the meeting above alluded to, some exception was taken to the term 
“ citrate of magnesia,” as not really representing its composition, and the 
reason of its being called so has, I believe, never been cleared up. 
I am, however, able to state, by the permission of Mr. Bishop (and I be¬ 
lieve it is generally conceded that he is the original manufacturer), that when 
he first prepared it in 1857, he “ used a good deal of neutral citrate of mag¬ 
nesia.” He also writes me, “ I had to abandon this plan, by finding the com ¬ 
pound would not keep, soon losing its effervescence and colour.” 
Whilst sf) caking of the name, I would just note the “ true citrate of mag¬ 
nesia,” introduced by Mr. Dymond to the meeting of the Conference at 
Dundee, and w r hich was for a while made as a granular preparation, but, having 
ceased to be so, it no longer comes within my province. 
