222 
Pharmaceutical  Meeting. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
April,  1897. 
Contribution  II  to  the  Coastal  and  Plain  Flora  of  Yucatan. 
By  Charles  Frederick  Millspaugh,  M.D.  Field  Columbian  Museum,  publica- 
tion 15.    Botanical  series,  Vol.  1,  No.  3.    Chicago,  December,  1896. 
This  is  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  botanical  knowledge  of  the  almost 
unknown  country  of  which  it  treats. 
Proceedings  of  the  Fifteenth  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Virginia 
Pharmaceutical  Association,  held  at  Hampton,  Va.,  July  21  to  23,  1896. 
Several  interesting  papers  add  to  the  value  of  these  proceedings.  One  paper, 
by  Geo.  F,.  Barksdale,  is  devoted  to  a  description  of  a  new  form  of  percolator, 
to  which  a  stirrer  is  attached. 
Complete  Price  List  and  Catalogue  of  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  Detroit, 
Mich.,  1897. 
MINUTES  OF  THE  PHARMACEUTICAL  MEETING. 
Philadelphia,  March  17,  1897. 
The  sixth  of  the  present  series  of  Pharmaceutical  Meetings  was  held  in  the 
College  Museum  at  3.30  P.M.  J.  W.  England  presided.  The  minutes  of  the 
last  meeting  were  allowed  to  stand  as  published. 
The  chairman  called  for  the  presentation  of  specimens  and  the  following 
were  exhibited  :  A  sample  of  the  matrix  of  the  diamond,  which  is  a  kind  of 
blue  clay,  from  Kimberly  Mine,  South  Africa,  presented  by  Mr.  Chas.  Bullock  ; 
and  two  photographs,  one  of  two  beech  trees  which  had  grown  together  in 
several  places,  and  the  other  of  a  birch  tree,  which  was  17  feet  in  circumference, 
4  feet  from  the  ground.  The  trees  grew  in  Sullivan  County,  Pa.,  and  the  photo- 
graphs were  presented  by  Mr.  Chas.  H.  LaWall. 
The  first  paper,  which  was  on  the  subject  of  "  Parthenium  Hysterophorous," 
by  Dr.  H.  V.  Arny,  was  read  by  Professor  Trimble  (see  p.  169).  The  active 
principle,  or  principles,  of  this  plant  have  heretofore  generally  been  regarded 
as  an  alkaloid  by  investigators.  However,  an  examination  of  the  plant,  in  1889 
by  the  author,  gave  no  evidences  of  an  alkaloid,  but  a  substance  was  isolated 
which  was  then  believed  to  be  a  glucoside.  It  was,  therefore,  with  a  view  of 
clearing  up  the  chemistry  of  the  bitter  principle  of  the  plant  that  the  present 
investigation  was  undertaken. 
The  second  paper  presented  was  on  a  "  Proximate  Analysis  of  Orris  Root," 
by  S.  Allen  Tucker  (see  p.  199).  This  analysis  was  undertaken  for  the  purpose 
of  ascertaining  the  effects  of  solvents  on  orris  root,  as  it  was  believed  that  such 
knowledge  would  be  found  of  service  in  determining  the  percentage  of  this 
root  in  tooth  powders  and  like  preparations.  An  interesting  result  of  the 
analysis  was  the  large  amount  of  starch  which  was  16*85  Per  cent. 
A  paper  entitled  "A  Brief  Resume  of  Acetic  Anhydride  in  Oil  Analysis, 
and  a  Modification  of  the  Method  for  Estimating  Menthol  in  Oil  of  Pepper- 
mint" was  read  by  L/yman  F.  Kebler  (see  p.  189).  The  author  referred  to 
the  difficulties  which  have  attended  the  examination  of  essential  oils,  but  said 
that  methods  are  being  established  which  will  render  their  analysis  quite  easy. 
Among  other  factors  to  be  considered,  he  emphasized  the  importance  of  the 
boiling  point. 
