634  Pharmaceutical  Collec/es  and  Associations.  {^^^'^^c^Si^^^ 
PHARMACEUTICAL  COLLEGES  AND  ASSOCIATIONS. 
Alumni  Association,  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy. — Tlie 
tirst  social  meeting  was  held  October  lltli.  Dr.  A.  W.  Miller  alluded  to 
the  symbols  which  were  formerly  used  to  a  considerable  extent  in  phar- 
macy, and  correctetl  an  erroneous  statement  made  in  the  report  of  his 
remarks  on  this  subject  a  year  ago.  He  then  proceeded  with  an  explana- 
tion of  the  theory  of  evolution,  tracing  the  formation  of  cells,  tissues  and 
different  organs,  with  their  gradual  modifications  in  the  higher  types  of 
animals. 
The  second  social  meeting  was  held  November  8th,  when  the  subject  of 
exGi2yients  for  pill  masses  was  discussed  ;  the  usefulness  of  glucose  and  gly- 
cerin for  this  purpose,  and  of  a  mixture  of  the  two  substances  was  favor- 
ably commented  upon  ;  glucose,  however,  has  a  reducing  effect  upon  some 
salts. 
Mr.  Sayre  uses  two  mixtures  of  powdered  tragacanth  and  glycerin,  one 
containing  five  scruples  and  the  other  three  drachms  of  the  former  to  one 
liuidounce  of  the  latter. 
Dr.  Miller  alluded  to  the  presence  in  commercial  glucose  of  a  consider- 
able amount  of  dextrin,  and  stated  that  it  was  used  as  an  excipient  by 
some  of  the  large  pill  manufacturers ;  also  in  the  preparation  of  malt 
liquors,  from  25  to  28  lbs.  of  it  being  used  as  an  equivalent  for  a  bushel  of 
malt,  one-fourth  of  the  ordinary  quantity  of  which  can  be  replaced  by 
grape  sugar  ;  the  latter  is  also  used  for  making  the  foam  of  beer  more 
tenacious,  and  is  largely  used  in  the  manufacture  of  cheaj)  candy.  Recently 
glucose  manufacturers  have  succeeded  in  granulating  glucose,  and  in  this 
state  it  is  employed  for  aclulte^xiting  granulated  cane  sugar  to  the  extent 
of  10  and  20  per  cent.  The  adulteration  may  be  detected  by  a  pocket  lens 
under  which  grape  sugar  will  api^ear  milk-white,  while  cane  sugar  is 
transparent  and  Crystalline.  On  throwing  some  of  the  mixture  into  a 
tumbler  tilled  with  water,  cane  sugar  dissolves  readily  while  slowly 
passing  through  the  water,  but  grape  sugar  dissolves  quite  slowly  and  will 
gradually  settle. 
Mr.  E.  C.  Jones  and  Dr.  A.  W.  Miller  gave  an  account  of  their  trips 
from  Kansas  City  to  New  Mexico  and  Colorado.  Dr.  Miller  read  some 
extracts  from  and  commented  upon  a  Ijook  on  the  blue  and  red  light  as 
relating  to  the  theory  of  evolution.  After  some  further  discussion,  the 
meeting  adjourned. 
Missouri  State  Pharmaceutical  Association.— The  third  annual 
meeting  was  held  at  Knights  of  Pythias'  hall,  Kansas  City,  at  2.30  P.M., 
October  ^25tli.  Dr.  R.  T.  Miller,  president,  in  the  chair.  After  the  usual 
routine  business,  the  president  delivered  his  annual  address,  in  which  he 
suggested  amendments  to  the  present  pharmacy  law  and  proper  pharma- 
ceutical training  by  attendance  at  schools  of  pharmacy. 
Twenty-six  new  members  joined  the  Association,  and  the  following 
olficers  were  elected  for  the  ensuing  year :  A.  R.  Edmunds,  of  Miama, 
President ;  J.  F.  Hurt,  of  Columbia,  W.  Q.  Purcell,  of  Malta  Bend  and  J. 
M.  Good,  of  St.  Louis,  Vice  Presidents ;  W.  T.  Ford,  of  Kansas  City,  Sec- 
