^May^m"11'}    Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  261 
much  changed  in  color,  but  still  could  be  used  for  a  variety  of  purposes  in 
the  arts. 
In  regard  to  the  color  of  the  different  samples  of  tar  ointment,  Prof. 
Remington  remarked  that  a  small  quantity  of  water  in  the  tar,  well  incor- 
porated, would  cause  the  color  to  become  much  lighter.  In  connection 
with  this  subject,  he  exhibited  samples  of  wood  creasote  and  of  carbolic  acid, 
which  were  in  the  cabinet  of  Professor  Procter  some  thirty  years  ago  and 
had  been  sold  in  the  market  as  creasote.  Attention  was  called  to  the  fact 
that  at  one  time  the  two  substances  were  regarded  as  being  chemically  iden- 
tical, though  differing  in  the  degree  of  purity. 
Mr.  Moerk  read  a  paper  upon  olive  oil,  giving  a  comparison  of  American 
and  European  made  oils.  The  paper  elicited  a  good  deal  of  discussion. 
Prof.  Sadtler  suggested  that  oils  having  different  saponification  numbers 
might  also  show  different  forms  of  crystallization  under  the  microscope. 
No  such  comparison  had  been  made.  Referring  to  a  sample  of  Lucca  oil 
in  Florence  flasks,  which  Mr.  Moerk  had  found  to  give  a  brown,  but  not  a 
red  color,  with  sulphuric  acid,  Prof.  Maisch  stated  that  some  years  ago  he 
had  examined  a  number  of  commercial  samples  in  Florence  flasks,  which 
were  sold  as  Lucca  oil,  and  found  them  to  give  a  decidedly  red  color  with 
the  reagent. 
Dr.  Lowe  exhibited  three  specimens  of  dragon's  blood  which  differed  in  color, 
and  when  treated  with  alcohol  left  different  amounts  of  insoluble  matter; 
he  thought  the  drug  as  found  in  commerce  seemed  to  contain  less  resin  and 
more  vegetable  fragments,  than  formerly. 
Mr.  Beringer  read  a  paper  on  expressed  oil  of  almonds.  He  had  observed 
that  the  soap  of  an  oil  adulterated  with  peanut  oil  produced  with  hydro- 
chloric acid  a  green  color;  after  considerable  experimenting  he  found  this 
result  would  only  occur  when  sesame  and  peanut  oil  were  both  present. 
Prof.  Maisch  alluded  to  the  subject  of  the  cleansing  of  mortars,  which  had 
been  alluded  to  at  the  March  meeting,  and  read  a  paper  upon  the  subject 
by  Mr.  H.  M.  Wilder.  The  general  subject  of  cleansing  different  implements 
led  to  the  remark  that  scale  pans  of  a  fine  scale  should  always  be  protected 
by  papers,  so  that  they  would  not  be  soiled  by  the  material  weighed.  Mr. 
Procter  spoke  of  the  use  of  strong  sulphuric  acid  for  the  cleaning  of  mor- 
tars ;  after  all  parts  of  the  mortar  had  been  well  covered  with  the  acid,  this  is 
poured  into  another ;  this  is  continued  till  all  the  mortars  had  been  treated 
alike;  the  result  would  pay  for  the  trouble,  the  mortars  being  nice  and 
bright.  Mr.  Boring  found  a  very  efficient  cleanser  in  a  mixture  of  sal  soda 
and  caustic  lime  with  sufficient  water;  after  standing  some  hours  the  mor- 
tars are  left  bright,  both  inside  and  out.  The  use  of  bichromate  of  potas- 
sium with  sulphuric  acid  was  also  mentioned  as  being  useful  for  the  removal 
from  mortars  of  substances  not  attacked  by  sulphuric  acid  or  by  alkalies. 
Mr.  Boring  had  found  starch  in  the  commercial  powdered  slippery  elm  bark; 
that  it  should  not  be  present  he  satisfied  himself  by  chipping  some  bark  up 
and  testing  it  with  iodine,  no  starch  being  indicated.  A  member  stated 
that  ground  elm  bark  could  be  obtained  in  the  market  free  from  starch. 
The  subject  of  saffron  was  discussed.    An  article  was  supplied  as  pure,  but 
