July 1,1671.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
7 
percolation the density of the percolate will vary from 
'the density of the menstruum in proportion to the ex¬ 
tent and rate of the exhaustion. It follows from this 
proposition that to measure the extent and rate of ex¬ 
haustion, it is only necessary to measure the extent and 
rate at which the percolate varies from the menstruum 
•at the beginning of a percolation and approaches to it at 
the end, absolute exhaustion being indicated by equal 
density—or equal weight of the same volume at the same 
temperature—of the menstruum and percolate. This 
measuring is usefully accomplished with sufficient accu¬ 
racy by separating the percolate as it passes into succes¬ 
sive portions of a pint each and weighing them. By 
subtracting from this the weight of a pint of the men¬ 
struum at the same temperature, a series of differences 
■will be obtained expressing the extent and rate of ex¬ 
haustion. When the exhaustion is practically completed, 
—it is never absolutely accomplished,—the residue is 
dried and weighed, and its weight subtracted from the 
weight of the substance as originally taken for percola¬ 
tion. The difference or loss in weight indicates the total 
•amount of solid matter dissolved and removed by the 
menstruum. Then, as the sum of the differences in 
weight between equal volumes of the menstruum and 
percolate at the same temperature, is to the total amount 
of solid matter or extract dissolved out by the menstruum, 
so is each separate difference to the weight of solid ex¬ 
tract in the portion of percolate which that difference 
•represents. That is to say, the total weight or amount 
.of solid extract being ascertained, the ratio of the differ¬ 
ences in density is applied to it to obtain a ratio of the 
rate of exhaustion, and to ascertain the distribution of 
the total extract throughout the percolate. 
This method, applied to nearly all the fluid extracts 
which are at present officinal, and to some others, has 
.convinced the writer, 
First. That the present officinal processes do not suffi¬ 
ciently exhaust the drugs to which they are applied; 
and, 
Second. That these processes do not take the best way 
:to attain the object. That the supposed advantage of 
rising coarse powders is a delusion. That maceration is 
useless at the commencement of the process of percola¬ 
tion, but useful after the substance has been partially 
•exhausted. That the menstrua are not always the best 
that could be selected, either for extracting the useful 
portions of the drug or for excluding the useless portions. 
That glycerine is preferable to sugar where either gives 
any positive advantage, but that anything like a general 
use of glycerine in fluid extracts is to be deprecated, as 
the advantages are more in appearance than reality. 
(■To be continued.) 
Iron Alum as a Hsemostatic. —A correspondent of 
the Lancet recommends the use of a strong solution of iron 
alum in glycerine as admirably adapted for the arrest of 
profuse bleeding where no large vessel is to be seen and 
secured. For haemorrhage from the gums it may be 
applied in powder on a piece of lint; bleeding from the 
.nose may be checked by stuffing the nostrils with lint 
•.saturated in the solution. 
The Effect of Climate and Soil on Plants.— 
As an example of the effect of a tropical climate and 
soil on British cultivated plants and their products, may 
F>e mentioned the fact of the introduction of some pepper¬ 
mint plants from the Mitcham fields into a plantation at j 
Singapore. After being planted in their new tropical 
Rome in a situation fully exposed to the sun they grew 
•very well, but not to the height they grow in this coun¬ 
try ; moreover, they refused to flower, and almost as 
soon as they had arrived at full growth they dried up, 
.having an appearance of being burnt. They were also 
jfound to yield not more than half the usual quantity of 
• essential oil, and that of a dark claret colour and of an 
.inferior odour.— Gardeners’ Chronicle. 
THE PHARMACY BILL. 
SHEFFIELD PHARMACEUTICAL AND 
CHEMICAL ASSOCIATION. 
A Meeting of the Council was held on Monday the 
19th inst., for the purpose of considering the proposed 
Pharmacy Bill of 1871. There was a full attendance of 
members; Mr. Doim, the President, in the chair. 
The minutes of the previous meeting having been 
read and confirmed, the President introduced the subject 
which the Council had been called to discuss, by reading 
the Bill which had passed through the House of Lords, 
and stood for second reading, Juno 26th. In a few brief 
remarks he said he thought it was desirable that some 
action should be taken by this Council, and he would 
wish to take its sense of the desirability or otherwise of 
petitioning the House of Commons against the Bill. 
Resolved—That this Council offer the most strenuous 
opposition to the proposed Bill, that a petition be drawn 
up for presentation to the House of Commons by George 
Hadfield, Esq., the senior member for the borough, and 
that Messrs. Wilson and Preston be delegated to repre¬ 
sent the views of the chemists and druggists of this 
town and neighbourhood at the conference to be held in 
London. 
Resolved—That the following letter accompany the 
petition and be also forwarded to the county and borough 
members individually:— 
“Sir,—A petition, of which the enclosed is a copy, 
has been forwarded to the senior member for the borough 
of Sheffield for presentation to the House of Commons; 
the petitioners therefore respectfully solicit your oppo¬ 
sition to any such partial enactment. The petitioners 
object that this ‘ Amended Pharmacy Act ’ should be 
construed as one with the ‘Pharmacy Act, 1868/ the 
16th clause of which reserves the right of apothecaries, 
veterinary surgeons, etc., who are thereby exempt from 
conforming to the regulations for the dispensing, selling 
and keeping of poisons. The Petitioners submit that 
any legislative action upon this subject should be strictly 
impartial, believing that persons registered under the 
‘Pharmacy Act, 186S/ as chemists and druggists are as 
duly qualified to dispense, sell and keep poisons as apo¬ 
thecaries, veterinary surgeons and medical students in 
the various public hospitals and dispensaries of Great 
Britain.” 
A second meeting of the Council was held on Tuesday 
evening, the 27th inst., at the rooms of the Association, 
at which it was reported that the petition, bearing the 
signature of seventy-two chemists and druggists of this 
town, had been duly presented. 
The following (condensed) report was presented hy 
the deputation:— 
On Monday, June 26th, the deputation were honoured 
by an audience with George Hadfield, Esq., senior 
member for the borough of Sheffield. Your deputation 
urged upon the hon. member the several objections the 
great body of chemists had to the Bill already passed by 
the House of Lords, and read for the first time in the 
House of Commons. After a general conversation the 
hon. member promised his assistance. Your deputation 
also waited upon A. J. Mundella, Esq., junior member 
for the borough, on the same day, and repeated the ob¬ 
jections to the Bill, and also to the principles contained 
therein, who said he would aid to the best of his power. 
On Tuesday, June 27th, your deputation waited upon 
H. J. Beaumont, Esq., member for the West Riding of 
Yorkshire, who also expressed much sympathy with the 
objects of the deputation. Your deputation were unable 
to obtain any interview with Viscount Milton, the other 
member for the West Riding, being out of town through 
severe illness. Your deputation also sought an inter- 
1 view with S. Plimsoll, Esq., member for Derby; but 
failing to meet with him, a letter was dispatched to 
; his address. Your deputation, in conclusion, desire to 
