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BRITISH PHARMACEUTICAL CONFERENCE. 
Mr. Warington, being especially noticed. The advantages and disadvantages of the 
weights and measures authorized by the Medical Council in the new Pharmacopoeia 
were next reviewed, and a suggestion made that the ounce of that system should be 
divided into drachms and scruples. To get rid of the fractions of a grain, which 
would otherwise be appended to these drachms and scruples, the author proposed that 
the value of the grain should be slightly increased ; so {hat, instead of 18-229 grains 
being contained in one scruple, there should be only 18; instead of 54-687 in the 
drachm, there should be but 54; and 432 in the ounce, instead of, as now, 437'5. 
This was as near an approach to an amalgamation of the troy and apothecaries’ system 
as he could devise. The elaborate and ambitious system proposed by the American 
Pharmaceutical Association was next noticed, and then the French metrical system, 
the merits and demerits of all under various circumstances being carefully weighed. 
For ultimate general adoption the author thought the American octonary system to 
be superior to the metric decimal system; that, in short, doubling and halving a 
number was better than multiplying or dividing by ten. He concluded by proposing 
the use of the American system, modified to meet the requirements and customs of 
the English.” 
A general discussion followed the reading of this able and elaborate Report. 
(End of First Fay s Meeting .) 
• 
SECOND SITTING. 
Thursday , Sept. 15 th, 9.30 a.m. 
After the transaction of some general business, the following Papers were read :— 
“ ON THE' APPLICATION OF MICROSCOPIC ANALYSIS TO PHARMACY. 
BY HENRY DEANE, F.L.S., AND H. B. BRADY’, F.L.S. 
[Abstract.] 
“ After a general resume of the various uses to which the microscope had been ap¬ 
plied in connection with the various branches of science connected with medicine and 
pharmacy, the authors proceeded to detail certain processes employed by them, which 
they considered belonged rather to the domain of pharmacy than to that either of 
chemistry or materia medica. The investigations which they comprised under this 
head, were especially those which had reference to the condition in which the active 
matter of a drug exists in its preparations. The present paper, which it would be im¬ 
possible to give a fair idea of without some, at least, of the large number of drawings 
that were used as illustrations, was especially devoted to the details of a series of in¬ 
vestigations connected with the various preparations of opium. The authors did not 
wish the papers to be considered in any other light than as a preliminary investiga¬ 
tion, and they propose to continue the subject for a future meeting of the conference.” 
Mr. Stoddart commended to increased attention micro-chemical research. For 
five years he had constantly used the microscopic goniometer, which he then exhibited, 
in preference to employing chemical means for examining the alkaloids. He thought 
that the presence of gum in the solutions of opium would interfere more with the 
formation of crystals than would the resin. 
Mr. Deane said that opium must form an exception to Mr. Stoddart’s statement, 
since he and Mr. Brady found that when the gum was removed, no crystals formed. 
He called attention especially to the much larger amount of codeia yielded by Patna 
than by Turkey opium, and thought that the possible therapeutic advantages of its 
substitution should be tested. 
Dr. Attfield thought the extension of this important inquiry might probably in¬ 
form us in what condition the alkaloids exist in the opium. 
Also, if the results from the same sample were found to be constant, a more ready 
means of valuation than any yet known would be gained. 
Mr. Schacht urged the latter point also. 
In reply, the authors emphatically repeated that they had made a large number of 
trials with each specimen, and had found constant results. 
Battley’s preparation seemed to give the most absolutely uniform product. 
Mr. T. B. Groves suggested that the reason of Patna opium having an excess of 
