512 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [December 23, W7l. 
English table . salt. Only a small portion of the 
water, however, is so used, the bulk of it being 
allowed to run into a neighbouring stream. 
At a recent meeting of the Agri-Horticultural So¬ 
ciety of Madras, a reference was made to the medi¬ 
cinal properties of Spilanthes oleracea , especially as 
to its use as a remedy for toothache. 
Colonel Pears, who communicated the fact, says 
that it was administered on the recommendation of 
a native servant to a friend of his who was suffering 
from very severe toothache, and that it effected a 
perfect cure in a very short time. Dr. Hunter 
pointed out that the Spilanthes contains some acid 
principle, and, when chewed, causes a copious flow 
of saliva. The use of such articles for the relief of 
toothache is of very ancient date in European medi¬ 
cine, the pellitory of Spain having long been used 
as a masticatory in cases of toothache. The Spi¬ 
lanthes is probably just as effectual as the pellitory, 
-and is, moreover, easily obtained in India. 
The plant, which belongs to the Composites , is an 
erect, branching annual, growing about 12 or 14 
inches high, and having small yellow flower-heads 
at the ends of the branches. It is well known for 
the peculiarly pungent taste of its leaves, on which 
account it is frequently cultivated in some tropical 
countries for use as a salad and pot-herb. It is 
known as Para grass; in Japan it is called Ho Ko So. 
A correspondent of the Leavenworth Journal of 
Pharmacy reports the. result of an examination of a 
specimen of opium, purchased from a wholesale 
house which boasts that the opium sold by them is 
selected by their agent at Smyrna. One pound and 
.a half of the opium in question was found to contain 
four ounces of gravel mixed with a few particles of 
iron pyrites. 
It is stated in a recent number of the Birmingham 
Morning News that injurious results have followed 
the use of a disinfectant supplied to the town of 
Wolverhampton by its authorities, and conjectured 
to contain carbolic acid. In one establishment 
where it was used, we are told that the sickness of 
three men is attributed to the disinfectant, as well 
as the death of two valuable dogs. 
A series of coloured photographic illustrations of 
interesting cases occurring in the practice of the 
British Hospital for Diseases of the Skin is to be 
published by subscription, in furtherance of one of 
the objects for which the hospital was established, 
viz. “ the diffusion of knowledge regarding the dis¬ 
eases of the skin.” The work will be under the 
superintendence of Mr. Balmanno Squire, and will 
be issued in quarterly parts. 
LIVERPOOL CHEMISTS’ ASSOCIATION. 
The Fifth General Meeting was held at the Royal 
Institution on the 7th inst.; the President, Mr.E. Davies, 
F.C.S., in the chair. 
Mr. J. Simpson, 10, Rumford Place, was elected a 
member of the Association. 
Donation of the current numbers of the Pharmaceu¬ 
tical Journal was announced. 
The President read a circular he had received from 
Dr. Attfield, asking for aid in replacing the loss sustained 
from fire by the Chicago Pharmaceutical College. The 
President said he had been named one of the committee 
formed to promote this object, and he should be glad to 
receive contributions of money, books or objects for the 
Museum. 
Mr. Samuels showed a new and simple contrivance to 
note hygrometrical changes in the atmosphere, called 
“the Chameleon Barometer.” 
Mr. Fraser then read a paper’entitled ,“ Notes on Prac¬ 
tical Pharmacy,” in which he mentioned his experience 
in testing for morphia in opium ; and in speaking of the 
value of the B. P. test said, that although when worked 
carefully it w ould give true results, yet it was j ust possible 
that, with hurried work, a part of the morphia would be 
separated along with the colouring matter, thus giving 
the percentage too low. In any case the morphia is 
brownish from the'presence of colouring matter. For 
the purpose of checking this test, he used the method 
known as Staples’, in which the morphia is precipitated 
from an aqueous solution, to which alcohol has been 
added, by ammoniacal spirit; this gives almost colourless 
crystals. These two processes, carried on simultaneously, 
he considered to be sufficient for all practical purposes. 
Mr. Fraser next treated on the advisability of having a 
hard and fast standard for the quantity of morphia 
which shall exist in the official opium preparations. 
Lastly, he advocated the question, whether we ought to 
standardize other drugs according to the percentage of the 
alkaloid or active principle; and he expressed an opinion 
that these, from a medical point of view, will be more 
satisfactory remedial agents than either the system now 
in use or the substitution of alkaloids. In conclusion, the 
new process for preserving and seasoning wood by means 
of boiling in a solution of borax was briefly noticed. 
A discussion followed, in which the President, Mr. 
Tanner, Dr. Symes and Mr. Fraser took part. 
A vote of thanks to Mr. Fraser for his paper was then 
passed. 
MANCHESTER CHEMISTS’ ASSISTANTS’ 
ASSOCIATION. 
The Fifth Ordinary (fortnightly) Meeting of the 
session was held at Mitre Chambers, December 12th; 
the President (Mr. Lane) in the chair. 
A paper was read by Mr. Gill, on “ Starch.” 
After a short general introduction, the reader proceeded 
to treat—first, of starches used in the arts, viz. wheat, 
potato and rice, and describing their different methods of 
production; afterwards, those used as articles of diet, as 
arrowroot, tapioca, tous-les-mois, etc., with their sources 
and modes of preparation. 
The various tests were given practically, and the diffe¬ 
rent varieties of starch-granules shown under the micro¬ 
scope. 
These illustrations were very instructive, and added 
considerably to the interest of those present. The next 
meeting is arranged for January 9th, 1872, when a paper 
will be read on “ Cinchona Barks,” by Mr. Ridley. 
