Am.  Jour  Phanm. )      American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  511 
Oct.,  lool.  j 
if  made  of  a  lieavier  gravity.  Noiie  of  the  syrups  kept  better  than  if  made 
of  the  same  density  with  cane  sugar,  and  the  very  noticeable  deficiency  in 
sweetness  overbalances  all  other  advantages  that  could  possibly  be  gained ; 
the  saving  in  cost  would  be  but  slight,  except  for  large  manufacturers. 
Attention  is  called  to  the  use  of  glucose  as  an  excipient  for  pill  masses 
which  remain  soft  for  a  long  time  o*n  account  of  the  i^resence  of  dextrin 
-and  gummy  matter. 
In  discussing  this  paper  Mr.  A.  E.  Ebert  gave  interesting  and  valuable 
information  of  the  manufacture  of  glucose  and  grape  sugar. 
Mr.  G.  W.  Sloan  read  a  paper  on  Solutions  of  Chemicals  for  Convenience 
in  Dis2^ensing.  One  tiuidrachm  of  these  solutions,  as  prepared  by  the 
author,  contained  of  chloral  hydrate,  calcium  bromide,  zinc  bromide,  lith- 
ium bromide  and  potassium  acetate,  sixty  grains;  of  potassium  iodide  and 
potassium  bromide  thirty  grains ;  of  zinc  chloride  two  grains;  of  corro- 
sive sublimate,  atropia  sulphate,  duboisina,  eserina  sulphate,  one  grain, 
and  of  strychnia  sulphate  half  a  grain.  The  menstruum  is  in  all  cases 
distilled  water,  except  for  corrosive  sublimate  alcohol,  and  for  strychnia 
sulphate  a  mixture  of  one  part  of  alcohol  and  three  parts  of  water ;  the  lat- 
ter solution  is  disposed  to  cr3^stallize  if  the  temperature  falls  much  below 
50°F. 
The  interesting  paper  on  the  Sen.ega  of  Commerce,  by  J.  U.  and  C.  G. 
Liloj^d,  is  printed  in  full  on  page  481  of  the  present  number. 
In  a  paper  on  the  QuoMty  of  Phosphate  of  Sodium  Prof.  Bedford  referred 
to  the  results  of  the  investigation  of  G.  W.  Kennedy,  reported  to  the 
Pennsylvania  Pharmaceutical  Association  in  1880;  six  samples  of  the  salt 
contained  traces  of  carbonate  and  between  25  and  60  per  cent,  of  sulphate 
of  sodium.  In  fourteen  samples  examined  by  the  author  between  19%5  and 
57*5  per  cent,  of  sodiuui  sulphate  were  found. 
Mr.  Stewart  exhibited  and  explained  a  diagram  drawn  by  Prof.  Bastine, 
illustrating  an  Instance  of  Atavism  in  Ci/pripedium  spectabile.  The  plant 
was  collected  in  the  pine  barrens  at  the  southern  end  of  Lake  Michigan, 
and  the  flower  had  three  distinct  equal  sepals  and  no  "  slipper  "  or  lip,  but 
instead  thereof  three  nearly  equal  petals,  narrower  than  and  alternating 
with  the  sepals ;  the  ovary  was  not  twisted,  and  but  slightly  bent  to  one 
side ;  the  union  of  the  stamens  and  pistil  was  less  complete  than  usual  and 
there  were  three  distinct  anthers  alternating  with  the  three  distinct  lobes 
of  the  stigma.  Instead  of  one  triangular  fleshy  body  apparently  occui)y- 
ing  the  place  of  the  third  stamen,  there  were  two  such  bodies,  alternating 
with  the  petals,  and  probably  reioresenting  a  second  whorl  of  the  same. 
A  normal  flower  grew  on  the  same  stem. 
Precipitates  in  Fluid  Extracts  was  the  title  of  a  paper  by  Professor  J,  U. 
Lloyd,  in  which  the  more  obvious  and  asserted  causes  of  precipitation 
w^ere  discussed,  such  as  oxidation  by  the  atmosphere,  reduction  of  alco- 
holic strength  by  evaporation,  change  of  temi^erature  and  light.  The 
author  then  dwelt  upon  the  change  of  strength  of  the  percolating  men- 
struum caused  by  the  presence  of  moisture  in  the  vegetable  powder,  and 
upon  the  solvent  power  of  solutions  of  organic  principles  upon  other  prin- 
ciples, and  the  changes  which  continually  occur  during  percolation,  in  the 
