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THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[January 7. 1&7I- 
Professor Bentley said there was the seed in addition, 
which in India paid all the expense of cultivation. 
Mr. Carteighf. said he was sure Mr. Ward would 
not go away under the impression that the criticisms 
passed upon his paper had any personal hearing-, since 
they were founded on the lack of information furnished 
hy his correspondent. At the same time, it could not he 
■denied that the paper lost much of its value from this 
cause, and Mr. Ward would he doing- good service if he 
would obtain from Mr. Francis further details, which no 
doubt that gentleman would be happy to furnish. 
The Chairman’ announced that on February 1st and 
March 1st Dr. Carpenter would give two lectures on 
the microscope. 
Yin'um Ferhi. 
Professor Attfield said he proposed at the next avail¬ 
able meeting to read a paper on “ Certain Precautions 
to be Observed in Making Wine of Iron.” He should 
he glad to hear, in the meantime, from any one who 
had met with new difficulties in preparing this article. 
It was well known that during the last year or two malt 
liquors had had a very small quantity of solution of bi¬ 
sulphite of lime added to them, which had proved service¬ 
able in preventing alteration, and it would seem that 
the process had been extended to wine, especially the 
cheaper kinds of sherry. The consequence was, that 
when this was used for making wine of iron, a reduction 
•of the sulphite took place, sulphuretted hydrogen was 
generated and the sample was spoiled. 
Mr. Butt said he had found it impossible to avoid the 
disagreeable sulphuretted hydrogen smell, although he 
had tried iron wire, iron filings, iron borings, and differ¬ 
ent samples of sherry. 
Mr. Howden inquired if the sherry had been taken 
from the wood or from bottle, because it was known that 
bisulphite of lime was used to a great extent in bottling 
both wine and beer. 
Mr. Butt said he had used it from the bottle and from 
the wood, and both low and high priced sherries, and 
always with the same result. It appeared, therefore, that 
the bisulphite was used both in this country and abroad. 
They used what was called “the sulphur match” in this 
country, to bring round inferior wdnes, to a great extent. 
LIVERPOOL CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
The Fifth General Meeting of this Association was 
held at the Royal Institution on Thursday evening, 
December 22nd; the President, Mr. John Abraham, 
in the chair. There was a numerous attendance. The 
minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. 
Mr. Joseph Roberts was elected a member. Mr. W. T. 
■Case was elected an associate. 
Donations of the Chicago Pharmaceutist , New York 
Druggists’ Circular, Pharmaceutical Journal , were an¬ 
nounced. 
The Honorary Secretary, Mr. Alfred H. Mason, read 
paper upon “ Chloral Hydrate, Alcoholate, Tests, 
Therapeutical Value, Pharmaceutical Preparations.” (See 
p.5U.) 
The President said the members were much indebted 
to the author for the paper they had just heard. He 
did not know that there was so much difference in the 
samples of hydrate of chloral which were offered for 
sale; he confessed he felt it was still a medicine of 
which little was known. He had always purchased his 
supplies from the first houses, without reference to price, 
and thought he was getting the right thing. 
Dr. Nevins, Lecturer on Materia Medica, etc. at the 
Royal Infirmary School of Medicine, Honorary Member 
of the Association, said, that lately he had found that in 
administering hydrate of chloral, in any form, it pro¬ 
duces unpleasant results upon the patients, nausea, head¬ 
ache, sickness, and sometimes vomiting. When the 
hydrate was first introduced none of these symptoms 
were present; but ho thought the paper they had just 
heard woidd somewhat explain this. He drew attention 
to the fact that the administration of hydrate of chloral 
in many cases caused great languor and depression. He 
found it necessary to guard against too long continued 
doses, as sometimes, quite unexpectedly, unfavourable 
symptoms presented themselves. Of course the effects 
of hydrate of chloral differed like those of any other 
medicine, with different constitutions. He also called 
attention to the large quantity of caustic alkali used to 
set free the chloroform, and said he thought it impos¬ 
sible that as much alkali would be found in the blood of 
a patient. 
Mr. Edward Davies, F.C.S., said the subject was one 
of great importance, and he was very much struck with 
the serious differences between the salts examined, which 
had been laid before them. Theoretically the products 
of decomposition of the alcoholate would be very different 
from the hydrate of chloral. He urged that in order to 
obtain a good result one article alone should be used in 
dispensing. He thought they were much indebted to 
Mr. Mason for bringing forward proof that there was a 
great deal of alcoholate of chloral in the market. The 
two preparations should not be indiscriminately used for 
the same class of cases. If any one wanted to ascertain 
whether alcoholate of chloral was a good remedy in 
other cases, well and good, but he thought it very pro¬ 
bable that medical practitioners were now using alco¬ 
holate where formerly they used hydrate of chloral, and 
because they found ill effects where formerly they found 
benefit, they were apt to decry the hydrate of chloral. 
The President spoke of the manufacture of chloral, 
and much doubted whether any was made in this country. 
He believed it was all imported from abroad, principally 
from Germany. 
Mr. A. H. Mason said some crude hydrate of chloral 
had been recrystallized here, as he had been furnished 
with a small sample, but not sufficient to carry through 
the course of his experiments. Messrs. Dunn, Squire, 
and Co. advertised in the medical papers that they were 
manufacturers, and they had kindly supplied him with 
samples of the crude and cake hydrate of chloral, of 
which he had already spoken. 
A short discussion followed, in which several members 
took part. 
The President moved a vote of thanks to Mr. Mason 
for his interesting and instructive paper, which was 
seconded, in very complimentary terms, by Dr. Nevins, 
and carried unanimously. 
Mr. Mason acknowledged the vote, and the meeting- 
adjourned. 
ONTARIO COLLEGE OF PHARMACY. 
At the regular November Meeting of this Society, an 
informal conversation took place upon the criminal pro¬ 
secution of nearly all the Toronto druggists for selling 
laudanum contrary to the “Poisons Act.” Eventually 
it was resolved to adjourn the meeting until after the 
magistrate’s decision. 
At the adjourned meeting the President said that, 
although the magistrate’s decision had been twice post¬ 
poned, it had been thought best to call the members 
together, as the Ontario Legislature had assembled, and 
it would be advisable to take action with regard to the 
proposed Pharmacy Bill. 
After discussion, it was decided that as most of the 
members of the Society were non-resident in Toronto, 
