36  PharmaGeutical  Colleges  and  Associations,  {^^'ji^^usi!^" 
more  for  sugar  containing  a  trace  of  blue  than  for  the  pure  article.  He 
believed  that  if  pharmacists  found  it  desirable  to  have  pure  sugar,  the 
refiners  would  place  it  in  the  market.  When  a  sugar  containing  a  decided 
blue  tint  was  used  for  acid  syrups,  an  unpleasant  odor  of  hydrosulphuric 
acid  apj)eared  after  a  time. 
Mr.  Plowman  spoke  of  a  sample  of  sugar  which,  when  used  for  syrup  of 
phosphate  of  iron,  gave  off  a  strong  odor  of  sulphurous  acid.  Dr.  Symes 
suggested  that  the  suli^hurous  acid  might  probably  have  been  used  for 
decolorizing  the  sugar.  Various  j^rocesses  for  decolorizing  sugar  were  men- 
tioned, and  Mr.  Cleaver  referred  to  Dutch  sugar,  a  great  deal  of  which  con- 
tained much  calcium  phosi^hate  ;  the  same  residue  was  found  in  some  of 
the  sugar  of  a  Liverpool  firm. 
Two  samjiles  of  resorcin  were  exhibited  by  Dr.  Symes,  one  being  of  a 
mahogany  color  and  having  something  of  the  smell  of  carbolic  acid,  the 
other  being  much  lighter,  though  not  pure.  Resorcin  had  been  used  as  a 
coloring  matter ;  when  pure  it  ought  to  be  in  perfectly  white  crystals ;  100 
parts  of  water  dissolve  80  parts  of  resorcin,  but  he  found  benzol  and  ben- 
zolin  to  have  scarcely  any  solvent  action.  It  had  been  given  in  doses  of 
from  3  to  5  grams  within  twenty-four  hours.  As  to  the  dose,  Mr.  Greeiiish 
remarked  it  could  be  scarcely  defined  when  the  substance  contained  an 
unknown  amount  of  impurity. 
An  interesting  paper  on  the  history  of  saffron  was  read  by  Mr.  Chas.  B. 
Allen,  in  which  the  author  called  attention  to  the  very  extensive  use  of 
saffron  as  a  condiment  in  Cornwall. 
The  use  of  saffron  in  the  Pharmacopoeia  was  discussed  in  a  paper  by  Mr.. 
E.  M.  Holmes,  in  which  the  origin  of  the  use  of  salfron  in  medicine  was 
inquired  into,  and  numerous  authorities  were  quoted,  showing  that  it  is 
not  now  believed  to  possess  any  real  activity.  "  But  my  object  in  calling 
attention  to  the  use  of  saffron  in  the  Pharmacopoeia,"  continued  the  author, 
"was  to  demonstrate  that  in  future  Pharmacopoeias  it  might,  with  advan- 
tage, be  omitted  from  all  the  preparations,  except  a  tincture  or  a  syrup,  or, 
preferably,  a  glycerol  of  saffron  ...  It  is  obvious  that  there  is  some- 
thing to  be  gained  by  the  omission  of  saffron  from  the  above-mentioned 
tinctures,  for  the  nearer  the  approach  to  a  universal  formula  for  such  pre- 
perations  as  are  used  in  every  Pharmacopoeia  the  less  difficulty  and  delay 
there  will  be  for  the  dispenser  of  foreign  prescriptions  in  different  coun- 
tries, and  the  greater  satisfaction  there  will  be  to  the  patient,  whose  belief 
in  the  non-identity  of  the  medicine,  arising,  perhaps,  from  a  slight  differ- 
ence of  tint  of  the  liquid,  is  in  some  cases  liable  to  nullify  the  good  effect 
of  the  prescription ;  in  other  words,  the  curative  i^ower  of  faith  may  be 
susi^ended  by  a  want  of  exact  uniformity  in  the  appearance  of  the  medi- 
cine. Again,  in  those  preparations  which  have  replaced  patent  medicines, 
it  is  evident,  if  the  drugs  which  the  medical  j)rofession  consider  worthless, 
or  nearly  so,  and  which  may  be  traced  back  to  astrology,  are  retained,  that 
the  Pharmacopoeia  is  descending  to  popular  prejudice,  and  is  attempting 
to  formulate  for  trade  preparations  rather  than  for  the  medical  profession." 
In  the  discussion,  following  the  reading  of  the  two  papers,  Messrs. 
Gerrard  and  Collier  corroborated  the  views  of  Mr.  Holmes  and  pointed  to. 
