May 25, 1372.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
957 
TYNESIDE CHEMISTS’ ASSISTANTS’ 
ASSOCIATION. 
At the rooms of the above Society, on Thursday 
evening, 16th inst., Air. A. Anderson read a very in¬ 
teresting paper on “The Various Rhubarbs of Com¬ 
merce.” There was a numerous attendance of members, 
several of whom took part in the discussion which fol¬ 
lowed the paper ; after which, a hearty vote of thanks 
was proposed by Mr. Bullus, seconded by Mr. Iloslop, 
and carried unanimously. The meeting then terminated. 
Ipnrmtrings ai Scientific jswicties. 
CHEMICAL SOCIETY. 
Thursday, May 16th; Dr. Debus, F.R.S., Vice-Presi- 
sident, in the chair. 
The first paper read at this meeting was one “ On the 
Influence of Pressure upon Fermentation, Part I.,” by 
Mr. H. T. Brown ; the results of his experiments being 
that, under diminished pressure, the amount of gas un¬ 
absorbed by potash is greatly increased, and that it con¬ 
tains a proportionally large amount of hydrogen. Acetic 
acid and aldchyd are also found under these circum¬ 
stances, so that it would seem that water is decomposed 
during the alcoholic fermentation, especially when it 
takes place under diminished pressure. 
Papers “ On the Electrolysis of Sugar Solutions,” by 
Mr. H. T. Brown; “ On the Determination of Potas¬ 
sium,” by Messrs. D. Page and A. D. Iveightley,. and 
“ An Examination of the Recent Attack on the Atomic 
Theory,” by Mr. Atkinson, were then read. The latter 
referred to Dr. Wright’s paper on the Atomic Theory, 
recently read before this Society, and published in the 
April part of the Philosophical Magazine. 
An animated discussion on the atomic theory ensued, 
in which Dr. Wright took part. 
Mr. C. O'Sullivan then read his elaborate memoir 
“ On the Transformation Products of Starch,” and the 
meeting finally adjourned until Thursday, June 6th. 
Professor Cannizzaro, of Palermo, will deliver the 
Faraday lecture “ Sur les Limites et sur la Forme de 
l’Enseignement theorique de la Chimie dans les Univer- 
sites,” at the Royal Institution, on the 30th inst., at 
8 o’clock. 
I 
! 
PARIS SOCIETE DE PHARMACIE. 
At the sitting of this Society on the 6th of March, 
under the presidency of M. Stanislas Martin, a paper 
that had been read before the Academy of Medicine by 
M. Herard, advocating the use of tannate of quinine, 
gave rise to a discussion in which MM. Roucher, 
Poggiale, Bussy, Regnault, Bourgoin, and Petit took 
part. 
M. Roucher said that the tannate was really effica¬ 
cious, though less so than the sulphate, but that it 
could be employed with advantage in certain special 
cases. 
M. Poggiale thought that it would be useful to 
determine first the composition and solubility of this 
salt. 
M. Regnault said he had made some experiments in 
the preparation of this medicament. When acetate of 
quinine is treated with tannin, a turbid liquid is pro¬ 
duced, which passes unchanged through the filter, and 
which it is impossible so to clear. This appears to show 
that the precipitate is very soluble in acetic acid; the 
addition of a little sulphuric acid, or even of sulphate of 
soda, leads to a decided separation. The tannate of 
quinine, well freed from sulphuric acid, is nearly insoluble 
in water, but soluble in alcohol. 
M. Poggiale read an account of some researches of 
M. Cauvct upon rhubarbs. 
M. Limousin read a paper on the preparation and 
purgative properties of sulphovinate of soda. 
M. Bourgoin described a new process for the detection 
of adulteration of essence of bitter almonds by the so- 
called essence of mirbane, or nitrobenzol. He said that 
various methods had previously been indicated, but none 
of them had been quite satisfactory. The density of the 
nitrobenzol being greater than that of essence of bitter 
almonds, Vogel had proposed the estimation of the 
density of the suspected liquid. But the success of this 
test might be prevented by the addition of a sufficient 
quantity of alcohol, or other suitable liquid, to reduce it 
to the proper density. Dragendorff has recommended 
the addition of a globule of sodium to a mixture of a few 
drops of alcohol, and a small quantity of essence : colour¬ 
ation becoming more decided in proportion as the quan¬ 
tity of the adulterant is more considerable. Another 
process that would naturally suggest itself would be to- 
distil the mixture in the presence of iron filings and 
acetic acid ; to saturate the distillate with a little lime, 
according to Berthellot’s method, and to develop a blue- 
violet colour by means of a dilute solution of hypochlorite 
of lime. This test is a very delicate one when applied 
to pure nitrobenzol; but the presence of essence of 
bitter almonds singularly interferes with the reaction, 
and often only negative results are obtained with mix¬ 
tures containing as much as 40 per cent, of nitrobenzol. 
M. Bourgoin proposes to treat a small quantity of the 
essence, about one gram, in a test-tube, with about half 
its weight of pure caustic potash, agitating it to favour 
the action of the alkali. If the essence be pure it will 
only assume a yellow colour, but if essence of mirbane 
be present, the yellow colour rapidly gives way to a 
reddish yellow tint, changing in less than a minute to a 
green colour. If then a small quantity of water be added 
the mixture separates into two layers, the lower yellow, 
and the upper green, which becomes red the next day. 
Alcohol does not interfere with these reactions; it seems,, 
on the contrary to favour them, for the mixture becomes- 
warm, and the green colour is rapidly developed. 
M. Roucher said that he had prepared crystallized 
digitaline according to the process of M. Nativelle, as 
described by M. Buignet at the last sitting,* and that 
he had obtained very important results which he pro¬ 
posed to describe at a future meeting. 
At the meeting on Wednesday, April 3rd, under the- 
presidency of M. Stanislas Martin, a note was re¬ 
ceived from M. Potticr, of Auxerre, indicating a practi¬ 
cal method for reducing alcohol to a desired. inferior 
strength. The memoir was entrusted to M. Buignet for 
examination. 
M. Bussy gave an account of the discussions that had 
taken place at the Academy between MM. Pasteur and 
Vergnette-Lamotte on the subject of the preservation of 
wines by the employment of heat. 
M. Boudct referred to the following papers received 
by the Academy of Medicine (1) a note on Sydenham’s 
laudanum, by M. Mayet; (2) a note on the same subject 
by M. Petit; (3) a memoir on the distribution of atropia 
in the belladona plant, by M. Lefort. 
Upon the suggestion of M. Boudet, it was decided to 
appoint a committee to watch the proceedings of a com¬ 
mittee appointed by the National Assembly tor the pui- 
pose of investigating the subject ot medical and phai- 
maceutical education on a proposition to concentrate the 
teaching of medicine at Paris. 
M. Bussy called attention to a law recently passed by 
the National Assembly, enacting that the concentrated 
preparation known as essence ot absinthe should only be 
made and sold as a medicinal substance, and that the 
commerce of the said essence, and its sale by pharma- 
ciens, should only be carried on according to the legal 
prescriptions. lie asked whether there were a tincture 
* See ante , p. S65. 
