KEIIR’s solution of PEllNITllATE OF IRON. 
283 
Dr. BiVLANCE SHEET. Cr 
1865-6. £ s. d. 
To Balance due from Treasurer . 7 3 0 
,, Thirty-two Members’ Subscriptions 16 0 0 
j, Thirty-four Associates’ ,, 4 5 0 
% 
£27 IS 0 
To Balance in hand. 4 9 7 
1865-6. £ s. rf-. 
By Balance due to Secretary . 3 2 ' 1 
„ Books and Periodicals for Library 4 17 8 
„ Printing Circulars, etc. 2 6 4 
5 , Lecture Boom—Philosophical HaU 1 10 0 
,, Kent of Library. 8 0 0 
,, Gratuities to Porters .0 10 0 
,, Collector’s Commission . 1 o G 
„ Postages .■■■■■ 0 17 7 
j, Reprints from Pharmaceutical 
Journal . 1 13 6 
,, Envelopes.* 0 19 
j, Cash in Treasurer’s hands.4 9 7 
£27 8 0 
Examined and found correct. 
J. B. BILLBROUGH, 
EDWARD BROWN, 
} 
Auditors. 
The Report was adopted, on the motion of Mr. Abbott, seconded by Mr. Stead. 
The President then presented the prizes to the students in botany, addressing to 
them a few words of congratulation upon their present success, and expressing good 
wishes for their future welfare. 
A resolution offering the very cordial thanks of the Association to Mr. James Abbott 
for his kindness in giving the course of Readings in Botany was carried. 
The ballot for officers for the ensuing year was then taken, the following being the 
resultPresident, Mr. Edward Thompson; Treasurer, Mr. J. Land; Secretary, Mr. 
E. Yewdall; Librarian, Mr. W. Smeeton; Committee, Messrs. Abbott, Brown, Reynolds, 
Stead, B. Taylor, S. Taylor. 
Mr. Smeeton and Mr. Yewdall then gave an interesting report of their visit to 
Nottingham, during the late meeting of the British Pharmaceutical Conference. 
Through the courtesy of IMessrs. Southall, Sou, and Dyiuond, of Birmingham, they were 
able to exhibit the collection of medicines, etc., sent by Professor Parrish, of Philadelphia, 
to the recent Exhibition. 
ORIGINAL AND EXTRACTED ARTICLES. 
KERR’S SOLUTION OF PERNITRATE OF IRON. 
BY T. AND H. SMITH. 
IMany pharmaceutists, as well as ourselves, must have found the process for 
preparing Kerr’s solution of pernitrate of iron very unsatisfactory, from the un¬ 
stableness of the product yielded; in a longer or shorter time it begins to lose 
its transp^irency and becomes unsightly, or through the production of nitrous 
gases of a more or less condensible nature the stopper may be thrown out or the 
bottle burst. 
Kerr’s solution being made by the action of nitric acid on metallic iron in the 
cold, contains a varying proportion of protoxide of iron, depending upon varia¬ 
tions of temperature and other circumstances ; hence arise after changes. 
Lower oxides of nitrogen and possibly even free nitrogen maybe produced from 
the continued action between the protoxide of iron and nitric acid ; part of tlie 
nitric acid being thus destroyed, the quantity necessary for the solution of the 
metallic oxide becomes deficient. In this way gases are liberated, and—from 
the production of a basic compound—the liquid becomes cloudy. It cannot 
have been intended that the compound should be a protopernitrate, such a pre¬ 
paration being a medicine, whoso components are in a state of gradual change; 
