138       .  Ilinutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.    {  ^'''Mar^'iSi 
Antagonism  of  Atropia  and  Physostigmia.— Dr.  R.  Bartholow 
("Med.  Record,"  Dec.  4,  1880,)  reaches  the  followmg  conchisions  on  this 
subject:  1.  Physostigmia,  or  eseriii,  and  atropia  are  antagonistic  in  their 
action  on  the  pupil.    ±  Tliey  are  different,  but  probably  not  antagonistic 
in  their  action  on  the  heart.    3.  They  are  opposed  in  their  effect  upon  the 
respiratory  functions,  eserin  paralyzing  and  atropia  stimulating  it.  4. 
They  are  not  opposed  in  their  action  on  the  cerebrum.    Atropia  produces 
delirium  and  hallucination,  while  eserin  does  not  affect  the  cerebral 
functions ;  but  both  cause  more  or  less  carbonic  acid  narcosis.    5.  They  act 
differently^,  but  not  antagonistically,  on  the  spinal  cord  and  nerves,  both 
cause  paralysis;  but  while  atropia  impairs  the  irritability  of  the  motor 
nerves,  eserin  does  not.  Eserin  increases  the  irritability  of  the  sensory 
nerves,  while  atropia,  if  it  has  any  effect  at  all  upon  them,  diminishes  this. 
6.  They  are  antagonistic  in  their  action  on  secretion,  eserin  stimulating  it 
and  atroj^ia  arresting  it.  Thus  it  appears  that  atropia  overcomes  the  lethal 
effects  of  eserin,  by  stimulating  the  respiratory  functions  ;  but  it  is  doubt- 
ful whether  eserin  is  of  any  practical  service  in  poisoning  by  atropia. — Ibid, 
MINUTES  OF  THE  PHARMACEUTICAL  MEETING. 
Philadelphia,  Feb.  17,  1881. 
In  consequence  of  the  examination  of  junior  students  occurring  upon 
tlie  third  Tuesday  of  the  month,  the  pharmaceutical  meeting  was  called 
for  the  following  Thursday.  On  motion  of  Prof  Remington,  Mr.  E.  M. 
Boring  was  called  to  j^reside  ;  the  minutes  of  the  last  meeting  were  read„ 
and,  tliere  being  no  corrections  to  make,  were  approved. 
The  Actuary  exhibited  a  very  compendious  Stock  and  Cost  Book,  issued 
by  Messrs.  Richardson  &  Co.,  of  St.  Louis,  by  whom  it  was  donated  to  the 
College.    A  vote  of  thanks  for  the  same  was  voted  to  tlie  donors. 
Dr.  L.  Wolff  made  some  remarks  upon  an  improved  method  of  obtain- 
ing the  alkaloids  of  Hydrastis  canadensis^  which  he  thought  worthy  of- 
notice  by  those  making  thejn.  It  consists  in  exhausting  the  root  of  the 
fatty  oils  by  percolating  with  gasolin  before  proceeding  to  prepare  the  alka- 
loids ;  the  advantage  derived  by  this  i:)rocedure  is  quite  considerable ;  the 
purification  and  crystallization  of  the  hydrastia  is  effected  with  greatly  less 
trouble.  An  inquiry  was  made  whether  hydrastia  had  any  remedial  pow- 
ers other  than  those  of  the  tonic  effects  of  the  berberina  associated  with  it,. 
Avhich  was  answered  by  a  positive  statement  that  the  astringent  effects  and 
the  control  of  unnatural  discharges  were  due  to  the  hydrastia,  while  berbe- 
rina had  a  remedial  power  as  a  tonic  and  cliolagogue  of  its  own. 
Prof.  Remington  showed  a  specimen  of  monobromated  naphthalin^  used 
for  mounting  microscopic  objects.  It  is  made  by  dissolving  naphthalin  in 
bisulphide  of  carbon,  and  treating  with  bromine;  he  also  noticed  an  edito- 
rial in  one  of  the  city  papers,  commenting  upon  a  proposed  law  directing 
physicians  to  write  their  prescriptions  in  English  and  without  abbrevia- 
tions, and  also  requiring  apothecaries  to  write  out  the  names  of  all  the 
ingredients  in  a  prescription,  in  full,  and  affix  it  to  the  vessel  in  which 
such  prescriiDtion  is  disj^ensed. 
