PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY, EDINBURGH. 
457 
as lie liad noticed in his paper, in ordinary specimens of saffron, which were clearly 
traceable to want of sufficient care in collecting, but in such cases the stamens 
were readily distinguishable by their pale yellow colour, no attempt having been 
made to give them the appearance of true saffron ; but here the stamens, etc., 
constituted about three-fourths of the whole bulk of the specimen, and had been 
twisted and dyed so as to give them the appearance of the genuine saffron with 
which they were mixed. So far as his observations extended, and he had very 
carefully examined the stamens in the present specimen, he had no doubt but 
that they had been derived from the flowers of the saffron crocus. 
A Member observed that lie had been recently supplied with a specimen of 
saffron, which, from the description now given by Professor Bgptley of its adul¬ 
teration by the stamens, etc., of the crocus, he believed had been adulterated in 
the same way. 
Professor Bentley said it was very probable, as he had been informed, on 
good authority, that a quantity of the adulterated saffron now described by him 
had been lately disposed of. He had been likewise told that a similar kind of 
saffron had been in the market about two years since, and had been disposed of 
at Liverpool. 
The President observed that although saffron had not much value in a me¬ 
dicinal point of view, still it was a substance in extensive use, and one which, 
from its high price, was very liable to adulteration ; hence, he was sure the meet¬ 
ing would be greatly obliged to Professor Bentley for his valuable paper, and 
also for offering to examine any specimens forwarded to him which were sus¬ 
pected to be adulterated. 
PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY, EDINBURGH. 
There was a meeting held in St. George’s Hall, on Tuesday evening, 20th cuirent, 
at nine o’clock. Mr. Kemp, President, in the chair. There was a good attendance. 
Mr. Mackay read a communication in reference to the detection of explosive gases 
in mines, and noticed some of the forms of apparatus proposed for this purpose by 
Mr. Gr. F. An sell, of the Royal Mint. After glancing at the danger which at present 
attends the discovery of the presence of fire-damp, by the old method of employing a 
lighted candle, or even by the use of the Davy lamp, he proceeded to describe the 
principle on which Mr. Ansell’s proposed instruments for the detection of the presence 
of deleterious atmosphere were constructed, viz. the well-known law of the diffusion of 
gases. He then showed to the meeting one of the simplest forms of such an apparatus, 
connection with a galvanic apparatus and alarm bell, and where, by the introduc¬ 
tion of coal gas, the pressure on a column of mercury, placed in a tube of the U form, 
was so increased that it rose in one of the limbs, and thus bringing the two wires of 
the galvanic arrangement into contact, completed the circle and caused the note of 
alarm to sound loud and clear. After some discussion on the form and uses of the 
apparatus, thanks were voted to Mr. Mackay by Dr. Smith. . 
Dr. Argyll Robertson then exhibited and described a new mechanical leech, lms 
was an instrument intended (as its name implied) for the local removal of blood in 
circumstances similar to those in which leeches were usually employed. It was in 
reality a modification of the cupping apparatus generally employed. It consisted of 
two parts—a scarificator or cutting instrument, and a cylinder for the reception of the 
blood to be abstracted. The cutting-apparatus consisted of a small steel cylinder 
(about A inch in diameter) carefully sharpened at one extremity, very much resembling, 
on a small scale, a punch employed for cutting out gun-wads. This punch fits into a 
brass case, the central portion of which can be revolved with great rapidity when trac¬ 
tion is made upon a cord wound round a central stem (to which port the punch is 
fixed by means of a screw). The cutting part of the punch can be made to piojec 
beyond' the brass case to a variable extent. By applying the sharp extremity of the 
punch to the skin, and drawing the cord, a circular incision is made corresponding m 
depth to the extent to which the punch projected beyond the brass case. 
