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THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[March 11,1871; 
REPORT ON COMMERCIAL SPECIMENS OF 
BISMUTHI SUBNITRAS. 
The Practitioner for March contains a report of the 
analyses of six samples of bismuthi subnitras, which 
yielded the following- results 
No. 
Oxide of 
Bismuth. 
Arsenic. 
Chlorides. 
Sulphates. 
Per cent. 
I. 
81-33 
None 
Traces 
Minute traces 
II. 
78-51 
None 
None 
Traces 
III. 
79-28 
None 
Traces 
Traces 
IV. 
82-12 
None 
Traces 
Traces 
V. 
81-80 
None 
Strong traces 
Slight traces 
VI. 
82-37 
None 
Very' strong 
traces 
Traces 
The amount of oxide of bismuth contained in the pure 
subnitrate is 76 3 per cent.; but much depends upon the 
amount of washing and the temperature maintained 
during precipitation. These may cause the quantity of 
oxide of bismuth contained in this salt to vary from 76 
to 84 per cent. The only impurities detected in the 
samples examined were traces of chlorides and sulphates 
and very minute traces of iron. All were specially ex¬ 
amined for arsenic, but no trace was found in any of 
them. 
ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF THE GLASGOW CHEMISTS 
AND DRUGGISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
On Tuesday' Evening, 28th February', the Annual 
Soiree and Musical Reunion of the Glasgow Chemists and 
Druggists’ Association was held in the Trades’ Hall, 
Glassford Street. Between five and six hundred persons 
sat down to tea. Mr. James MacDonald (of the Glasgow 
Apothecaries’ Company') occupied the chair; and among 
the gentlemen on the platform were Messrs. Aitken and 
Ainslie, Edinburgh; Drs. T. D. Buchanan, A. M. Ro- 
bertson, R. Carter Moffat, etc., and Messrs. William 
Greig, James Taylor, Thomas Davison, A. Kinninmont, 
T. D. Moffat, J. M. Fairlie, R. T. Dim, D. B. Ker, Ro¬ 
bert Brodie, etc. Letters of apology were received from 
Messrs. Fraser, Brown, Murdoch, Hatrick, Jaap, Currie, 
Hart, etc. 
The Chairman in his opening address expressed the 
high gratification it gave him to preside over such a 
brilliant assemblage as that met that night. He had at 
first some misgivings as to whether he should accept the 
honour conferred upon him by the Committee in asking 
him to be their chairman on such an important occasion, 
and he had done so ultimately on the condition that no 
speech would be required of him. He could not, however, 
sit down without saying how pleased he was to know 
that the trade (he should rather say profession) to which 
they belonged now occupied such an important position 
not only in this city' but in the kingdom. He was also 
glad to be able to affirm that the local Association (under 
whose auspices they were met there that night) had suffi¬ 
cient energy in its Council and Members to make Glas¬ 
gow one of the first pharmaceutical cities in the country', 
as it was already' one of the first in commerce; but of 
course energy and perseverance would be almost useless 
without support and encouragement from one and all 
connected with the profession. He therefore advised all, 
the young men in the trade especially, who had not y r et 
joined the Association, to enrol themselves in its ranks as 
soon as possible, that the labours of the working mem¬ 
bers to advance the education of the assistants and ap¬ 
prentices may be crowned with success. In further re¬ 
ferring- to the great good the Society had already done 
he said he was authorized by' the firm with which he was 
connected to state that it was their intention to hand 
over to tho Council of the Association another £-3 (in ad¬ 
dition to throe guineas already subscribed to the funds 
of the Society) to be distributed among the members in. 
prizes or in whatever way the Council may decide. After 
some further remarks about education, poison regula¬ 
tions, and early' closing,—concerning which he said he 
hoped before long to see every doctor’s and druggist’s 
shop in the city' shutting at 8 o’clock, and a great deal 
of the Sunday' labour curtailed,—Mr. MacDonald con¬ 
cluded a short but pithy' address by' quoting a piece from 
‘ Horace,’ and giving the translation, resuming his seat 
amid great applause. 
An excellent concert was afterwards sustained by' Miss. 
Isa Robertson, Mr. Falconer, Mr. Robert Fraser, and a 
glee party', and several Scotch readings given by' Messrs. 
Wright and Weir. 
Short addresses were also given by' Messrs. Aitken, 
Ainslie, and Paterson, and Dr. Moffat, and “ Auld Lang 
Syne” by the audience brought this part of the proceed¬ 
ings to a close. 
The Annual Full Dress Assembly was held immedi¬ 
ately after the soiree, in which upwards of fifty couples 
took part, and was witnessed by' nearly' three hundred 
spectators. 
Altogether the Festival was one of the most success¬ 
ful ever held in connection with the Chemists’ Asso¬ 
ciation. 
DRUG MARKET NOTES. 
Tlie following were among the parcels offered for 
sale in the drug market last week:— 
Sarsaparilla,—Honduras, 329 bales ; Mexican, 80- 
bales. 
Jamaica Beeswax, 60 barrels. 
West India Tamarinds, 41 barrels. 
Nux Vomica, 16 pockets and 2 bags. 
Senna,—Tinnivelly, 284 bales; Alexandria, 4T 
bales. 
Aloes,—Cape, 118 cgses; East India, 10 kegs, 7 
cases. 
Cardamoms,—10 cases, 21 packages; Malabar,49 
cases. 
Blue Galls, 75 sacks. 
Castor Oil,—East Indian, 100 cases; Italian, 50 ; 
cases. 
Bark,—Calisaya, 122 serons ; Columbian, 272 
serous; Crown, 79 bales; Bed, 37 bales; Cartha- 
gena, 15 bales; Pitayo, 90 bales; Peruvian, 72: 
serons. 
Indian Bael, 11 barrels. 
Gum Sandrac, 33 casks. 
Otto Boses, 8 tins. 
Ambergris, 8 tins, 50 ounces. 
Ergot of Bye, 11 bags, 4 cases. 
Cassia Fistula, 92 bales, 35 bags. 
Bhatania Boot, 35 bales. 
Antimony Begulus, 47 blocks. 
Kamala, 2 bags. 
Matico, 12 bales. 
Bhubarb, 136 cases, 31 chests. 
Cantliarides, 1 case. 
Turmeric, Madras, 111 bags and 100 pockets. 
Cubebs, 137 bags. 
Cajaputa Oil, 101 cases. 
Pepper Oil, 1 case. 
Macassar Oil, 2 cases. 
Citronelle Oil, 78 cases. 
Solid Glucose, 18 cases. 
Oil Patchouli, 10 cases. 
Cascarilla Bark, 360 sacks. 
