LIVERPOOL CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
637 
chemistry. In conclusion, a vote of thanks was also recorded and recommended to be 
duly forwarded by the secretary to the respective Editors of the ‘ Pharmaceutical Journal ’ 
and the ‘Chemist and Druggist,’ for the donations of their valuable journals, after which 
the meeting terminated. 
LIVEEPOOL CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
Eleventh General Meeting, held at the Koyal Institution, March 18th, 1869 ; the Pre¬ 
sident, Mr. J. P. Eobinson, in the chair. 
The Secretary announced the following donations to the Library:—‘Historical Me¬ 
moirs of the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy ‘ The Forty-fourth Annual Eeport of 
the Liverpool Institute.’ Thanks were voted to the donors. 
Mr. Abraham read a case submitted to the Privy Council, with reference to the label¬ 
ling some of the preparations of opium, arsenic, etc. “ poison,” with special reference to 
paregoric. He also read the reply of the Privy Council. In making some remarks on 
this subject, Mr. Abraham said that he thought the question was still left open, and that 
if a chemist did not label paregoric “poison,” he would do so at his own risk. The 
Privy Council, having no power to alter the law, could only give an expression of 
opinion which might guide, but would not bind those who had to carry out the law. 
Mr. Sumner said that the difficulties were inevitable if a poison schedule were to exist 
at all, which he thought unnecessary. The answer of the Privy Council was like the 
answer which the Excise authorities gave to queries addressed to them, avoiding any 
positive decision. 
Mr. Abraham then exhibited a new form of capsule, softer, and more flexible than 
those now in use. 
The President then called upon Dr. Charles Symes to read a paper on “ Cotton Seeds 
and their Products.” 
The author described the two varieties of cotton seeds found in the market, and the 
processes by which they were treated. The black smooth seeds are easily worked, and 
command a high price; but until quite recently the seeds covered with short cotton, 
known as “hairy seeds,” have been comparatively valueless, all attempts to work them 
to any real advantage proving futile. By processes patented last year by Messrs. Eose 
and Gibson of this town, these difficulties are surmounted. An arrangement of machi¬ 
nery, worked by a single engine, separates stones, dirt, etc., breaks the seeds, and 
separates the kernel in a state of meal. The oil is obtained from this by hydraulic 
pressure of a dark red colour, which colour all bleaching agents fail to remove, but it is 
dissolved out by alkaline treatment, leaving the oil in taste, smell, and appearance nearly 
equal to olive. The cake, from containing a mere trace of husk, and being free from 
chemical treatment, is more valuable, though obtained from the black seeds which con¬ 
tain all the husk. The following analysis of the two will show this fact most 
clearly:— 
Albumen . ... 
Cake from 
Hairy Seeds. 
. . 35-7 . 
Cake from 
Black Seeds. 
. . 25-4 
Mucilage and Sugar . 
. . 170 . 
. . 8-7 
Starch. 
. . 18-3 . 
. . 10-6 
Oil. 
. . 8-0 . 
. . 8*5 
Ash . 
. . 8-2 . 
. . 6-5 
Woody Fibre . . . 
. . 2-3 . 
. . 28-0 
Water . 
. . 7-0 . 
. . 8-2 
Loss . 
. . 4-1 
100-0 
100-0 
The combination of colouring matter and alkali with a certain portion of soap 
Foots ”) is thus converted into a good soap of a dark colour ; or, treated with sulphu¬ 
ric acid, and submitted to destructive distillation, the products being stearine, a soft fat, 
and dark red spirit of an exceedingly disagreeable odour, and for which, at present, no 
use has been found. 
