OX T1IE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF ItOSA GALLIC A. 1S5 
Carbon. 51*948 per cent. 
Hydrogen . G*494 
Oxygen . 41*558. 
— Amer. Drug. Cir ., from Sitzungsber. Wien. Akademie , hd. xlv., Jan. 18G2, in Chem. 
Centralblatt, i 8G3. 
PHARMACY IN SOUTH AMERICA. 
The Pharmaceutical Association of Buenos Ayres has lately received the 
official recognition of the Argentine Government, and has been established on 
an enlarged basis under the title of Sociedad de Farmacia Nacional Arjentina 
(National Argentine Society of Pharmacy). It has also petitioned the Govern¬ 
ment for the formation of a School of Pharmacy at Buenos Ayres, and ap¬ 
pointed a committee to consider the best means of ensuring the success of such 
an institution. The following are the bases upon which the Society declares 
that it has been founded : 
To encourage a spirit of association among pharmaceutists in the Argen¬ 
tine Nation and to strengthen the bonds of confraternity and harmony be¬ 
tween them. 
To establish relations with those of other countries in order to promote 
conjointly the elevation, and moral and material advancement of pharmacy. 
The Society further pledges itself to establish a Benevolent Fund for the 
pecuniary assistance of such of its members as may be overtaken by misfortune; 
to promote the founding of a School of Pharmacy, and the formation of a Na¬ 
tional Pharmacopoeia ; also to maintain the official journal of the Society, with 
the endeavour that it should be worthy of its object and conduce to the ad¬ 
vancement of science. 
This journal which bears the title of Revista Farmaceutica (‘ Pharmaceutical 
Review’) is in the Spanish language, and published quarterly at Buenos Ayres ; 
it has just completed its fourth volume, the last number containing an amusing 
notice of the state of pharmacy in England. D. H. 
ON THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OE ROSA GALLICA. 
BY M. FILHOL. 
The author published last year a work relative to the colouring matter of flowers, ill 
which the occurrence of quercitria was noted.* In again examining the flowers of the red 
rose, he has ascertained that their astringent property ought to be attributed in great 
degree to the quercitrin, and that but traces of true tannin can be found. When the 
petals, coarsely powdered, are exhausted with ether, a yellow tincture is obtained, the 
flowers retaining their beautiful red colour. The ethereal tincture by evaporation yields 
a soft greenish-yellow extract. Boiling water dissolves a part of this, forming a yellow 
solution, whilst a greenish fatty matter is left. This solution gives a deep bottle-green 
precipitate, with persalts of iron. It is coloured bright yellow by alkalies, and gives 
with lead salts, lakes of an intense yellow colour; and lastly, when evaporated to dry¬ 
ness, it leaves a dry residue, which assumes a lively yellow tint when moistened with 
strong hydrochloric acid. Quercitrin may be isolated from the lead precipitate. Rose 
leaves contain also a large portion of uncrystallizable sugar (20 per cent.), some cyauin, 
and gallic acid.— Repert. de Pharmacie , Mag, 18G3, and Amer. Journ. Pharmacy. 
* Phavm. Journ, second series, vol. iv. p. 133. 
