AMERICAN  PHARMACEUTICAL  ASSOCIATION. 
421 
gum  tree  (Liquidambar  styraciflua).  Was  replied  to  by  Prof. 
Procter,  and  the  paper  referred  for  publication. 
Prof.  Moore  stated  that  sweet  gum  is  obtained  in  the  lower 
counties  of  Maryland ;  and  the  results  of  an  examination  made 
by  one  of  his  students  exhibited  results  agreeing  with  those  of 
the  paper  just  read. 
Query  22d. — Relative  to  dispensing  Cerafes  and  Ointments. 
Prof.  Moore  read  the  reply  to  this  Query  by  W.  S.  Thompson, 
of  Baltimore,  and  it  was  referred  for  publication. 
Prof.  Moore  remarked  that  it  was  utterly  impossible  to  get 
lard  in  Baltimore  that  could  not  be  dipped  out  with  a  spoon. 
All  the  lard  contains  water  and  salt. 
Prof.  Procter  stated  that  he  had  seen  in  Philadelphia  an 
arrangement  like  a  dumb-waiter,  by  which  ointments  were  kept 
in  the  cellar,  and  raised  into  the  store  when  wanted. 
The  President  had  in  use  a  similar  contrivance  at  this  time. 
Prof.  Graham's  custom  was  to  buy  the  leaf-fat  and  render  it 
himself. 
Mr.  Butterworth  had  obtained  a  sediment  from  lard,  which 
he  supposed  was  lime. 
Mr.  Maisch  said  that  large  quantities  of  lard  had  been 
offered  at  the  U.  S.  Army  Laboratory,  containing  from  10  to  12J 
per  cent,  of  water,  kept  mixed  by  means  of  a  little  alkali  or  borax. 
Dr.  Squibb  went  into  an  explanation  of  the  causes  of  soft- 
ness in  lard,  when  unadulterated,  as  being  due  to  the  fat  of  the 
exterior  subcutaneous  layers  being  more  fluid  than  the  leaf-fat. 
Also,  that  a  fruitful  cause  of  bad  lard  was  the  food  of  the  ani- 
mals, slop-fed  hogs  having  fat  less  firm  than  when  corn-fed. 
Prof.  Moore  stated  that  so-called  leaf-lard  in  Baltimore,  is 
lard  partly  deprived  of  olein  by  pressure. 
Dr.  Squibb  spoke  of  the  article  called  perfumer's  lard,  made 
in  England,  which  is  odorless,  white  and  consistent. 
Mr.  Massot  was  in  the  habit  of  rendering  leaf-lard  for  "his 
shop  use. 
Prof.  Procfer  stated  that  recent  English  writers  had  accused 
the  Americans  of  adulterating  lard  with  20  per  cent,  of  potato 
starch  jelly. 
Mr.  Close  had  been  informed  that  lard  for  perfumers'  use 
