AnAugust5mm'}    American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  439 
period  and,  where  possible  before  packing  in  the  percolator,  to  sprinkle  it  with 
enough  alcohol  to  bring  the  liquids  to  the  composition  of  the  menstruum  used 
for  percolation.  The  interest  in  the  subject  was  shown  by  the  discussion, 
which  touched  upon  the  alteration  of  plant  constituents  by  drying,  the  genera- 
tion of  new  compounds  in  the  presence  of  water,  the  popular  use  of  some  fresh 
plants  and  dried  drugs,  etc.,  and  it  was  generally  acknowledged  that  numer- 
ous and  careful  observations  were  necessary  to  throw  more  light  on  these 
subjects. 
Photomicrography. — A  paper  by  Professor  A.  B.  Stevens  and  W.  H.  Krug 
describes  a  simple  apparatus  for  taking  magnified  photographs  of  sections  of 
drugs.  Stained  and  unstained  sections  had  been  used,  the  latter  yielding  the 
better  results.  This  was  also  the  experience  of  Professor  Maisch.  Professor 
Whelpley  stated  that  for  the  purpose  of  photographing  Arnold's  writing  fluid 
makes  an  excellent  stain. 
The  Pharmacopozial  Nomenclature  was  presented  by  Professor  O.  Oldberg. 
The  arguments  cannot  well  be  condensed ;  but  the  aim  of  the  paper 
was  to  show  the  advantages  of  making  the  pharniacopceial  titles  English  in 
form,  using,  however,  terms  only  which  may  be  properly  used  in  scientific 
language;  latinic  titles  were  proposed  as  definitions  of  the  former.  Thus 
official  titles  would  be,  for  example,  Benzoic  Acid,  Allium,  Anthemis, 
Water,  Cornus,  Ferric  Chloride,  to  which  the  following  latinic  definitions 
would  belong:  Acidum  benzoicum,  Allii  bulbus,  Anthemidis  flores,  Aqua,  Cor- 
nus radicis  cortex,  Ferricum  chloridum. 
Wool  Fat  or  Lanoleum. — Mr.  C-  S.  Hallberg  treated  in  this  paper  of  the 
preparation  of  this  useful  drug  and  gave  a  number  of  historical  references, 
showing  that  this  article  was  the  first  animal  fat  used  in  medicine  and  that 
from  the  beginning  it  had  always  been  employed  mixed  with  water,  as  it  also 
exists  naturally  in  the  wool  combined  with  water.  Arguments  were  presented 
against  the  validity  of  the  patent  on  its  combination  with  water,  and  against 
the  exclusive  right  to  the  use  of  the  term  lanolin,  this  being  a  descriptive  term 
and  not  an  arbitrarily  selected  name. 
Donovan's  Solution. — Mr.  E.  Goodman  states  that  in  Cincinnati  this  prepara- 
tion is  rarely  prescribed,  Fowler's  solution  being  preferred  ;  and  since  it 
deteriorates  on  keeping,  its  dismissal  from  the  pharmacopoeia  is  advocated. 
Mr.  Ebert,  however,  stated  that  in  his  locality  the  solution  is  frequently  pre- 
scribed. 
A  simple  ureameter  was  described  in  a  paper  by  Prof.  L.  E.  Sayre  ;  the  con- 
struction of  the  apparatus  is  simple  and  inexpensive. 
Cantharidin  in  Pharmacy. — Professor  F.  A.  Grazer  suggests  that  cantharidal 
collodion  be  made  with  cantharidin.  For  this  and  other  purposes  it  maybe 
easily  and  cheaply  prepared  sufficiently  pure  by  every  pharmacist,  following 
Procter's  process  of  exhausting  the  powder  with  chloroform,  recovering  the 
solvent  by  distillation,  and  removing  the  fat  from  the  residue  by  carbon  disul- 
phide  or  petroleum  benzin. 
Syrup  of  Dextrin. — The  pharmaceutical  uses  of  the  syrup  which  is  commer- 
cially known  as  "  glucose  "  were  discussed  in  a  paper  by  Mr.  F.  A.  Kometch. 
The  legitimate  use  in  pharmacy  was  stated  to  be  limited.  A  dense  ^yrup 
known  as  "  mixing  glucose  "  (specific  gravity  about  1*40)  is  useful  for  suspend- 
ing oils,  resinous  substances,  powders,  etc.   Mixed  with  syrup  of  gum  it  is 
