200  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy.  {Am\^nr"i9ihoarm' 
pointed  out  that  caramel  purified  by  dialysis  is  not  described  as 
having  an  odor. 
Dr.  Brinton  called  attention  to  an  observation  that  in  separating 
aldehydes  from  alcohol  by  treating  with  alkalies  the  color  disap- 
pears even  on  standing,  and  that  aldehydes  do  not  appear  to  be 
present  except  in  alcohol  from  colored  barrels.  Dr.  Horn  remarked 
that  sufficient  of  the  oxygen  of  the  air  would  gain  access  under 
the  conditions  to  produce  aldehyde,  and  stated  that  sealing  in  glass 
was  necessary  to  prevent  the  access  of  air. 
Professor  LaWall  referred  to  the  popular  notion  that  the  burning 
of  sugar  has  a  disinfecting  action  and  to  the  claim  that  formaldehyde 
is  one  of  the  resulting  products.  Air.  R.  W.  Hilts  stated  that  a 
French  chemist  had  found  that  smoked  meats  and  sausages  will 
give  the  reaction  for  formaldehyde,  and  that  in  the  burning  of  a 
number  of  carbonaceous  (carbohydrate)  substances,  formaldehyde 
is  produced. 
George  M.  Beringer,  Ph.M.,  presented  some  notes  on  the  U.  S. 
Pharmacopoeia,  stating  that  he  desired  to  direct  attention  to  one 
specific  subject — namely,  the  relation  of  the  practical  pharmacist 
to  the  work  of  revision.  He  called  attention  to  the  minutes  and 
reports  of  various  committees  on  the  U.S. P.  of  the  Philadelphia 
College  of  Pharmacy  going  back  to  the  earlier  revisions,  and  in 
commenting  on  the  amount  and  importance  of  their  work  said 
that  he  made  the  exhibit  to  show  that  retail  pharmacists  always 
took  part  in  the  work.  The  speaker  contended  that  if  retail  phar- 
macists do  not  take  up  the  various  practical  problems,  then  it  is 
their  fault  if  the  Pharmacopoeia  is  found  better  adapted  to  the  needs 
of  manufacturers  and  others.  He  said  that  every  pharmaceutical 
society  and  every  college  of  pharmacy  should  take  part  in  the  work 
with  a  view  of  making  the  Pharmacopoeia  the  legal  standard  for 
those  who  follow  it  and  who  must  stand  by  it. 
Mr.  Beringer  said  that  no  matter  what  physicians  say  in  regard 
to  admissions  and  deletions,  the  pharmacist  must  stand  his  own. 
the  trouble  with  many  physicians  being  that  they  are  working  on 
questions  that  especially  interest  them.  As  an  illustration  of  this 
tendency  he  said  that  recently  one  of  them  had  suggested  the 
omission  of  krameria  and  its  preparations,  while  according  to  his 
own  experience  they  should  be  retained. 
With  regard  to  the  dosage  forms  of  medicines,  he  said  it  was 
clearly  within  the  province  of  pharmacists  to  work  out  the  formulae 
for  them,  as  for  example  in  the  case  of  phenolphthalein.  As 
