Amju°ne^i^9arm"}    Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  315 
(3).  Six  parts  of  creasote  may  be  added  to  eight  of  tincture  of  nux  vom- 
ica. Of  this,  eight  to  ten  drops  may  be  given  three  times  daily  in  two  tea- 
spoonfuls  of  sweetened  water,  before  meals. 
It  is  stated  that  creasote  increases  appetite,  relieves  the  breathing  and 
decreases  the  expectoration  and  cough. — Med.  Chronicle,  Feb.,  1889. 
Dr.  Robinson  (Am.  Jour.  Med.  Sci.,  Jan.  1889)  regards  beechwood  creasote 
as  a  remedy  of  great  value  in  the  treatment  of  pulmonary  phthisis,  particu- 
larly during  the  first  stage.  Not  only  does  it  lessen  or  cure  cough,  dimin- 
ish, favorably  change,  and  occasionally  stop  sputa,  relieve  dyspnoea  in  very 
many  instances;  it  also  often  increases  appetite,  promotes  nutrition,  and 
arrests  night-sweats.  It  does  not  occasion  hEemoptysis,  and  rarely  causes 
disturbance  of  the  stomach  or  bowels,  except  in  cases  in  which  it  is  given 
in  too  large  doses. 
MINUTES  OF  THE  PHARMACEUTICAL  MEETING. 
May  31st,  1889. 
The  meeting  was  called  to  order  and  Mr.  Wm,  B.  Webb  was  asked  to  pre- 
side. The  minutes  of  the  last  meeting  were  read,  and  no  objections  being 
made,  they  were  approved. 
Mr.  Meyer  showed  a  bottle  containing  about  a  pint  of  water,  which  was 
about  half  of  what  was  poured  off  from  the  tar  contained  in  a  gallon  can 
which  was  purchased  for  a  gallon  of  tar.  After  discussion  it  was  thought 
that  the  subject  was  of  sufficient  interest  to  be  referred  to  the  meeting  to 
be  held  next  fall. 
A  paper  upon  Oil  of  Camphor,  by  Professor  Trimble  and  Mr.  H.  J.  M. 
Schroeter  was  read  and  illustrated  with  a  great  variety  of  specimens,  exhib- 
iting the  commercial  oils  and  the  fractions  obtained  during  the  investigation. 
The  interesting  paper  called  forth  a  great  deal  of  discussion  in  reference  to  the 
marked  difference  in  appearance  and  odor  of  the  fractions,  and  to  the  varia- 
tion of  the  commercial  oil,  more  particularly  as  compared  with  the  oil  of  cam- 
phor as  it  had  been  in  commerce  forty  or  fifty  years  ago.  Professor  Maisch 
showed  a  sample  of  the  oil  which  had  been  in  his  possession  nearly  thirty  years. 
Originally  it  was  liquid  during  the  summer,  and  deposited  some  camphor  only 
in  winter,  while  now  much  camphor  remains  crystallized  even  in  summer. 
Dr.  Lowe  exhibited  a  specimen  of  asafetida  which  contained  but  about 
20  per  cent,  of  matter  soluble  in  alcohol.  Professor  Maisch  stated  that  ac- 
cording to  Dymock  the  purest  asafetida  which  occurs  in  distinct  tears,  was 
consumed  in  the  East,  while  the  article  seen  in  our  commerce  consisted  of 
white  opaque  tears  free  from  mineral  additions,  but  imbedded  in  a  yellowish 
mass,  mixed  with  earthy  matters,  principally  calcium  sulphate.  On  re- 
moving the  tears  a  mass  would  be  left  agreeing  in  appearance  and  other 
characters  with  the  specimen  shown  by  Dr.  Lowe.  The  kind  called  hingra 
in  India  is  ordinarily  found  in  commerce.  The  Persian  asafetida  and  prob- 
ably the  greater  part  of  that  coming  from  Afghanistan  is  the  product  of 
Ferula  Scorodosma ;  while  Ferula  Narthex  is  indigenous  to  Thibet.  The 
