676 
PHARMACEUTICAL MEETING. 
Wednesday , April 6th, 1870. 
MR. H. SUGDEN EVANS, PRESIDENT, IN THE CHAIR. 
The Minutes of the previous Meeting having been read, the following 
DONATIONS TO THE LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 
were announced, and the thanks of the Meeting given to the respective donors 
thereof:— 
Durham University Calendar: from the University.—Sturgeon’s Annals of Elec¬ 
tricity, Magnetism, and Chemistry, 10 vols.; Sturgeon’s Annals of Philosophical Dis¬ 
covery, 1 vol.: from Mr. A. Bottle.—A Pamphlet containing the following papers— 
E. R. Squibb’s Report on the United States Pharmacopoeia ; Note on Rhubarb ; Liquor 
Opii Compositus ; F. C. Mussgiller’s Note on Collodion : from Mr. Daniel Hanbury.— 
Map of the Geographical Distribution of the Medicinal Substances contained in the 
British Pharmacopoeia of 1867: from Dr. Clapton.—The Cultivation of the Chinchonas 
or Peruvian Bark Trees in Java, by K. W. Van Gorkom (with Notes by C. Hasskarl) : 
from Mr. Collins, Curator of the Museums.—Specimens of the Sulpho-Carbolates of 
Copper, Iron, Zinc, Potassium, Magnesium, Sodium, and Ammonium: from Mr. 
Balmer. 
The Chairman mentioned that there were on the table two specimens of hy¬ 
drate of bromal. They were both sent by Mr. Williams, who would perhaps 
favour the meeting with some observations upon them. 
Mr. Williams said he was hardly prepared to go into detail respecting the 
nature or manufacture of this compound. It was at present rather difficult to 
prepare, and he was waiting for the arrival of bright weather, when he hoped 
to be able to obtain it with greater ease, and to have something to say upon 
its properties. Pie thought it would be found to be more powerful than chloral, 
and expected that three or four grains of it would be as powerful as thirty or 
forty grains of chloral; but at present that was a matter of theory. 
Mr. Poths, of the firm of Poths and Haas, of Houndsditch, exhibited some 
pharmaceutical balances, and explained their particular uses ; one, that at¬ 
tracted most attention, was for the determination of specific gravities. They 
were of German manufacture. 
The Chairman remarked that, as far as appearances went, they had much 
to recommend them, but whether they were expensive or not, he could not say. 
Mr. Poths said they were not expensive, and they would be found very con¬ 
venient for use. 
Dr. Redwood said the balance for taking specific gravities presented some 
advantages over those commonly used in this country. The specific gravities 
could be taken rapidly and with accuracy, and he believed the apparatus was 
supplied at a moderate price ; so far as he could judge, it would be found to 
answer well for pharmaceutical purposes. 
Mr. Hanbury stated that a similar balance to that exhibited for taking 
specific gravities was described a good many years ago by M. Mohr ; and he 
recollected seeing it in his shop at Coblentz on one occasion. It was then 
pointed out to him, that by means of it, the specific gravity of spirit or acid 
could be taken in the shop bottle, without the necessity of removing it, and 
that no particular weights were required beyond those belonging to the appa¬ 
ratus. Those were the chief advantages the balance appeared to offer. On 
the other hand, it was not at all adapted apparently to thick liquids and syrups, 
for which the old-fashioned bottle must still be resorted to. 
