514 
PHARMACEUTICAL MEETING. 
forwarded to me, with the request that I would ascertain their nature, and thus 
be enabled to say whether or not their separation involved deterioration of the 
extract. They were found to be the inert salt sulphate of potassium. 
This note is published for two reasons: first, to assure any pharmacist who 
may have met with these crystals that their presence or absence in ergot or its 
preparations is of no therapeutic importance ; second, to draw attention to a 
possible, perhaps a general constituent not previously noticed by chemists who 
have analysed ergot. Mr. Romans tells me the crystals amounted in weight to 
about 8 per cent, of the ergot employed. 
Mr. Rose said it was of great practical importance to have papers of this 
kind occasionally, because in making preparations they often got precipitates 
without knowing what they were, and they had not the time to examine them. 
They were very much indebted to Dr. Attfield for bringing these matters before 
them. 
The Chairman also bore testimony to their importance, and invited other 
gentlemen to bring forward what they observed in the course of their business, 
because these were important points to refer to in case of a new Pharmacopoeia 
being prepared. 
Dr. Attfield need scarcely say that if gentlemen met with anything crys¬ 
talline which they could not account for, and had not time to examine, if 
they would send it to him they would be doing him a favour, and possibly con¬ 
ferring considerable benefit on pharmacy, and perhaps on science in general. 
Many important discoveries had risen from very small things. He might just 
allude to a note which he had received from Mr. Holloway, of Sydenham, a 
most observant follower of pharmacy, who was always on the look-out for such 
little matters as those which had that evening engaged their attention. Mr. 
Holloway, in the course of work, had noticed that cantharides in powder was well 
preserved by the addition to it of a small portion of spirits of wine ; and so it 
occurred to him that powdered herbs might be preserved in the same way. He 
mixed with powdered herbs 20 per cent, of spirit, and thus preserved them 
for any length of time. The specimen was prepared on October 11th, 1866, so 
that it was more than two years old. He (Dr. Attfield) thought such a process 
would prevent the attack of insects. The specimen before them was in nice 
condition. It had, he understood, been kept in a bottle, so that the spirit would 
not have evaporated. They might think that the spirit of wine being in a fine 
state of division would be more liable to oxidation, and that they would get a 
contaminated product. Mr. Holloway alluded to the acid reaction of the pow¬ 
der, but referred that to natural acidity. Those gentlemen who might wish to 
preserve such powders, might be glad to know of this method. 
The Chairman said the plan he had seen adopted was to powder only a 
small quantity at a time, and not to keep a large stock of it. It had been no¬ 
ticed that if it was kept in stoppered bottles it very soon spoilt. He had ob¬ 
served that when a kind of nick had been filed in the stopper, the powder kept 
very much better than when it was perfectly stoppered. Probably it would 
keep better in a corked bottle than in one with a stopper. The great secret, 
however, was not to powder too much at a time, so that it should always be 
fresh. 
Mr. Umney said powders kept perfectly in an open tin. 
Mr. Francis had observed that they kept best in vessels not tightly closed. 
Mr. Howard thought that if these things had free access of air they would 
keep almost any length of time. Almonds were very difficult things to keep 
from the attacks of insects, but by keeping them turned over they could keep 
them for eight or nine months. 
Mr. Hanbury remarked that there was great difficulty in preserving seeds, 
fruits, and things of that kind, in museums; and almost every museum required 
