508  American  PhannaGeiUical  AssoGiation.  l^'"A^°.'"'irj;'''"'- 
(       Oct.,  1881. 
grams  sent  to  the  officers  of  the  California  College  of  Pliarmacy  and  of  the 
Western  Fair  Association. 
The  Association,  in  a  body,  proceeded  to  the  exhil)ition  room,  and  after- 
wards adjourned  until  afternoon. 
Third  Session —  Wednesda,f/  Afternoon^  August  24. 
After  the  reading  of  the  minutes  and  the  announcement  of  various  enter- 
tainments the  minutes  of  the  Council  were  read  and  approved;  the  elec- 
tion of  61  candidates  announced  at  the  hrst  session  was  reported,  one  hav- 
ing been  withdrawn. 
An  invitation  from  the  Wisconsin  delegation  to  hold  the  next  meeting 
at  Milwaukee  was  received,  and,  on  motion,  a  committee,  consisting  of 
Messrs.  W.  Saunders,  of  London,  Out.  ;  C.  Huston,  of  Columbus,  O.,  and 
W.  H.  Rogers,  of  Middletown,  IS".  Y.,  was  appointed,  to  whom  all  the  invi- 
tations were  referred. 
A  paper  on  the  Presence  of  Tannin  in  Oentian^  by  Mr.  Edgar  L.  Patch, 
was  read.  It  detailed  a  large  number  of  experiments  performed  l)y  various 
processes,  with  the  view  of  isolating  a  body  which  gives  preciptates  with 
gelatin,  cinchonidia  sulphate,  tartar  emetic  and  ferric  chloride,  with  the 
latter  dirty  green.  These  reactions  are  not  due  to  gentisic  acid,  which  was 
found  to  be  nearly  insoluble  in  water  and  to  give  a  deep  brown  color  with 
ferric  salts.  This  tannin-like  compound  seems  to  be  so  combined  that  it 
precipitates  with  the  resinous  matter.  The  author  also  compared  the  yel- 
low crystalline  body  obtained  by  Kennedy  from  Amerlcctn  Colombo^  with 
pure  gentisic  acid,  and  found  it  to  be  of  a  darker  yellow,  more  soluble  in 
water  and  ether,  less  soluble  in  cold  alcohol,  fusible  at  a  lower  temperature 
iind  congealing  amorphous  ;  though  colored  brown  1)y  ferric  chloride,  it 
gives  a  blood-i'ed  color  with  nitric  acid  and  a  carmine-red  color  with  sul- 
phuric acid,  while  gentisic  acid  is  colored  dark  green  by  the  former,  and 
dissolved  unclianged  by  the  latter. 
A  paper  by  Dr.  C.  Rice  on  the  Host  Desirable  Melting  Point  of  Petroleum 
Ointment  was  read.  Practitioners  of  medicine  usually  tind  two  such  prepa- 
rations necessary,  one  of  a  melting  point  of  about  40°C.  or  104°F.,  the  other 
having  more  the  character  of  a  cerate  with  a  melting  point  of  46°C.  or 
115°F.  But  for  various  reasons  it  seems  advisable  that  only  one  be  offi- 
"Cially  recognized  by  the  Pharmacopoeia,  having  the  lower  melting  point 
mentioned  ;  by  melting  this  together  with  more  or  less  yellow  wax  prepa- 
rations of  any  desirable  consistence  and  melting  point  as  well  as  unlimited 
keeping  qualities  can  be  obtained. 
By  a  formal  vote  the  Association  expressed  its  concurrence  in  the  views 
stated  in  the  paper.  In  the  discussion  following,  the  uses  to  which  soft 
paraffin  may  be  put,  among  others,  in  the  preparation  of  citrine  ointment, 
and  the  causes  of  the  variation  in  melting  point  and  other  properties  were 
dwelt  upon. 
Mr.  J.  L.  Lemberger  read  a  paper  on  the  Production  of  Milk  Sugar  in 
the  United  States,  in  which,  from  official  data,  the  value  of  the  importation 
of  milk  sugar  during  the  fiscal  year  ending  June  30,  1873,  was  given  at 
$3,233,  and  its  steady  increase  was  shown  until  for  1879-80  it  amounted  to 
$25,430.    In  the  cheese  and  butter  manufacturing  districts  of  the  United 
