PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY, EDINBURGH. 
561 
leaving the meat entirely free from it. When it has cooled, the hardened paraffin may 
be taken from the surface of the water, and the meat dried with a cloth. It is now 
ready to be prepared for food by any of the usual methods, but it should be cooked for 
only half the time required for unpreserved fresh meat. The paraffin that has been re¬ 
moved from the meat may be kept for subsequent use, being quite unchanged or injured 
in any way.” In closing his remarks, Mr. M. mentioned that further experiments were 
being vigorously carried forward at the works of the company, near London, which, if 
successful, would be the means of bringing the process into very general use. 
Thanks were voted to Mr. Mackay for his interesting paper. 
Dr. S. Macadam made a communication on chemical philosophy. In the course of 
his remarks he stated that, as most chemists knew, there were several very important 
changes about to be effected in the atomic nomenclature, and that such alterations 
would certainly be adopted in all forthcoming chemical works. The new doctrine 
might be called that of substitution, because, by removing one atom of a substance and 
replacing it with another, some very singular and important results followed. Dr. 
Macadam also mentioned that the new system was really very much the same which, 
during the lifetime of the eminent chemist Dalton, was attempted to be introduced, and 
might therefore, with all truthfulness, be termed “Daltonian.” The subject was fully 
illustrated by interesting coloured diagrams. 
The President moved a vote of thanks to Dr. Macadam, which was received with 
acclamation. 
The last scientific meeting for the present session was held in St. George’s Hall, 
Edinburgh, on Thursday, the 12th of April; Mr. Kemp, President, in the chair. 
Professor Archer, of the Industrial Museum, read a paper on the “ Farinaceous Mat¬ 
ters and Starches shown in the Exhibition of 1862.” The object of the paper was to 
show how very wide a field was open for the production of amylaceous materials either 
for food or manufacturing purposes, and it was illustrated by a series of fifty-two speci¬ 
mens, being only a portion of those collected by the writer. The first series was from 
Trinidad, and consisted of ordinary arrowroot from Maranta, arrowroot of excellent 
quality, resembling the Tous-les-mois, or more probably Tulema, from a species of 
Canna ; tapioca from the Jatropha Manihot, and fine Cassava from its variety Jiexuosa ; 
starch for manufacturing purposes from two species of yam, and from the sweet potato, 
Batatas edulis; good arrowroot, from the rootstocks of Caladium esculentum, the eddoes 
of the West Indians, a nourishing meal from the plantain and from the breadfruit. From 
British Guiana, two starches of commercial value from the seeds of the greenheart-tree 
(Nectandra Rodicei), and of the mora, a large timber-tree (Mora excelsa) ; also a cu¬ 
rious variety of sago from the pith of the Bacuba palm ( (Enocarpus Bacahd). From 
Brazil, an extensive series, all prepared by Senhor Theodore Peckbolt, of Rio de 
Janeiro; those of chief value were from the roots of Andira sp. ?, Mirabilis dichotoma , 
Bioscorea piperifolia and its variety triangularis , D. bidbifera and I). Brasiliensis, Raja - 
nia Brasiliensis, Ipomcea opercidata, the sweet potato, and the most important of all, 
the varieties of tapioca, mandioca, cassava, andcariman, all made from Jatropha Manihot; 
from the rootstocks of Caladium sagittarium, Colocasia antiquorum and other species, 
and Alpinia aromatica ; and from the seeds of Cipura Jluminensis , Botryopsis cineras- 
cens, Mucuna sp., Trianospermum Jicifolium. The starches of Jamaica, all well pre¬ 
pared, were, besides the common arrowroot, Tous-les-mois and varieties of tapioca; from 
the roots of several species of yam, sweet potato, Ipomcea Horsfallice, Scilla maritima 
(cultivated), Echites suberecta, and Thunbergia grandiflora ; from the rootstocks of Arum 
Colocasia , the “ coco ” of the natives, and the fruit of Colocasia esculenta , also called 
“ coco ;” and from the seeds of Laurus Persea, Sorghum vidgare, the mango and pump¬ 
kin, and from the breadfruit. Some of these were shown to be more curious than use¬ 
ful ; but the value of many others to our manufactures and as articles of diet was 
pointed out. 
The Chairman then delivered his 
VALEDICTORY ADDRESS. 
Gentlemen,—Having now arrived at the close of another session, you will probably 
expect from me a few concluding observations on the business which has engaged our 
