PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY, EDINBURGH. 409 
Professor Redwood had been much interested in this communication, as it 
related to a subject on which he had himself worked, but with less satisfactory 
results than Mr. Tilden appeared to have obtained. It was easy to remove the 
prussic acid by means of oxide of mercury, and he had suggested this method 
some years ago ; but a less expensive and more productive method was wanted, 
so that the purified oil might be supplied to the public at a price not much higher 
than that of the crude oil. It was also important, if possible, that the purified 
oil should be made as little subject to oxidation as the crude oil. It appeared 
that Mr. Tilden had been successful, to some extent, in the attainment of both 
these objects. His process for the purification of the oil was certainly a very 
promising one, and was likely to be generally adopted. Mr. Tilden seemed also 
to think that, by rendering the purified oil anhydrous, its tendency to oxida¬ 
tion was sufficiently lessened to remove the practical objection on this point; 
but it must be recollected that it was generally used as a flavouring agent in the 
form of essence, in which the oil was dissolved in spirit of wine, and, as the 
spirit contained water, this would probably destroy the effect of the previous 
drying. The more permanent character of the crude oil had been accounted 
for by supposing that part of the hydrocyanic acid, or cyanogen, existed in the 
crude oil in some state of combination with the oil; and if this be the case, 
probably hydrochloric acid or chlorine could be substituted, so as to produce an 
innocuous compound that would be equally permanent. 
Mr. Tilden remarked that the hydrocyanic acid which reappeared in oil of 
almonds, from which all the free hydrocyanic acid had been removed, was pro¬ 
bably furnished by a decomposition of benzamide, which contains not cyanogen 
but its elements, and in this case the suggested remedy would not apply. 
Mr. Allchin thought that one of the most important points in connection 
with this subject was to devise an efficient method of preventing the purified oil 
from becoming oxidized, and thus losing its peculiar almond flavour. He had 
found this change to take place very rapidly in the spirituous solution, so that 
customers objected to purchase it when made with the purified oil. 
Mr. Haselden was glad to find that so valuable a practical paper as this 
appeared to be was, like others they had received, a contribution from the class 
of Associates of the Society, and also that it emanated from that very useful 
association of young men called the Chemical Discussion Association, which met 
there once a month for the discussion of subjects relating to pharmacy, and the 
promotion of scientific research. He thought this association deserved to be more 
generally encouraged than it had hitherto been. 
PHARMACEUTICAL SOCIETY, EDINBURGH. 
A meeting was held in St. George’s Hall, on Tuesday evening, 17 th January at 
9 o’clock ; Mr. Kemp, President, in the chair. 
After a few introductory remarks by the Chairman, the following paper was read:— 
“ On the Present Position of Pharmacy in the United Kingdom, and on the teaching of 
'Pharmacy in Edinburgh,” by R. E. Scoresby-Jackson, M.D., F.R.S.E., P.R.C.P., Lecturer 
on Materia Medica, and Therapeutics at Surgeons’ Hall. 
Mr. President and Gentlemen,—I have much pleasure in availing myself of the op¬ 
portunity you have afforded me of addressing you at one of your evening meetings. A 
lecture at this late hour, after the ordinary business of the day is closed, should be ad¬ 
dressed, perhaps, to more than one of the drowsy senses, and I might have chosen for 
this occasion a subject that would have allowed of some display either by means of 
chemical manipulations, diagrams, or the exhibition of attractive specimens, so that by 
seeing and handling, as well as by hearing, a triple stimulus might be applied to the toil- 
worn brain. But I shall venture, without such aids, to ask your attention to a few 
simple but practical observations, the embodiment of thoughts which have for some 
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