PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTES  OF  TRAVEL. 
103 
Both  the  eminent  naturalists  just  referred  to,  were  fami- 
liar with  the  name  and  fame  of  Professor  Leidy  of  the  Universi- 
ty of  Pennsylvania,  and  inquired  after  him  with  much  interest, 
on  being  introduced  to  a  Philadelphian. 
Prof.  Christison  was  not  lecturing  at  the  time  referred  to,  but 
through  the  good  offices  of  my  friend,  Dr.  Sandahl,  of  Stockholm, 
whose  objects  of  study  accorded  closely  with  my  own,  I  enjoyed 
an  opportunity  of  visiting  with  him  the  splendid  cabinet  of 
Materia  Medica.  Each  of  the  leading  drugs  may  be  said  to  con- 
stitute a  separate  cabinet,  so  numerous  and  varied  are  the  speci- 
mens. The  Opium  series  may  be  specified  as  one  of  the  most  in- 
teresting ;  that  of  English  make  was  shown  as  equal  to  any  other ; 
the  India  variety,  so  extensively  sold  to  the  Chinese,  is  very 
uniform,  and  quite  inferior.  The  Kino  series  contained  nume- 
rous specimens  ;  the  Jamaica  variety  was  pointed  out  as  very  infe- 
rior,— "a  mere  extract."  The  numerous  tinctures  of  kino  all 
appeared  to  have  gelatinized,  equally,  by  time.  The  Cabinet  of 
Poisons  as  would  be  supposed  from  the  extended  reputation  of 
Prof.  Christison  as  a  toxicologist,  is  extensive  and  complete.  Of 
the  various  methods  of  mounting  wet  specimens  tried  by  Dr.  Chris- 
tison, he  prefers  the  use  of  a  solution  of  common  salt,  the  vessel 
to  be  tied  over  with  varnished  paper. 
At  the  Infirmary,  a  large  hospital  opposite  the  University,  we 
saw  an  amputation  performed  by  Dr.  Spencer,  assisted  by  Dr. 
Gillespie ;  the  operation  was  protracted,  but  accompanied  through- 
out by  the  inhalation  of  chloroform.  The  surgeons  and  attend- 
ants were  surprised  to  learn  that  in  America  ether  is  still  used 
in  many  of  our  Hospitals  and  in  private  practice,  as  a  safer  and 
better  anaesthetic.  They  use  Duncan  and  Flockhart's  chloro- 
form, and  for  the  sake  of  economy  prefer  that  made  with  me- 
thylated spirit,  instead  of  pure  alcohol.  It  is  a  common  idea, 
by  the  way,  that  the  ill  effects  sometimes  experienced  from  the 
use  of  this  ansesthetic  are  often  attributable  to  its  bad  quality, 
from  want  of  proper  rectification  to  free  it  from  the  impurities 
which  come  over  in  the  first  distillation. 
The  Botanical  course  of  the  University  being  in  progress  at 
the  Botanical  Garden  in  the  suburbs  of  the  New  City,  I  gladly 
availed  myself  of  the  opportunity  to  visit  this  delightful  spot  at 
the  hour  of  Prof.  Balfour's  lecture,  which,  as  in  the  case  of  the 
