AMERICAN  PHARMACEUTICAL  ASSOCIATION. 
425 
couraged,  as  the  evil  of  a  continued  influx  of  new  patent  medi 
cines  or  secret  remedies  was  on  the  increase.  European  Pharma- 
ceutists complained  bitterly  of  their  influence  on  legitimate  busi- 
ness. In  Germany  the  plan  had  been  adopted  of  analysing  secret 
medicines  and  exposing  their  composition,  and  he  supposed  many 
mysteries  might  be  discovered  if  the  practice  was  followed  here. 
Prof.  Parrish,  several  years  ago,  had  a  student  who  selected  for 
his  thesis  the  analysis  of  a  quack  pill,  then  in  vogue  as  a  vegeta- 
ble medicine.  Some  boxes  were  obtained  at  the  counter  of  the 
proprietor  to  prevent  mistake,  and  on  subjecting  them  to  distilla- 
tion with  iron  filings,  the  Indian  Vegetable  came  over  in  the 
form  of  globules  of  mercury  ! 
George  C.  Close  read  a  paper  on  a  recipe  for  Epilepsy,  which 
was,  on  motion,  referred  for  publication. 
Dr.  Squibb  stated  that  this  was  Dr.  Brown  Sequard's  prescrip- 
tion, afterwards  used  by  Echeverria  and  others.  It  has  been  very 
effectual  in  some  cases  of  Epilepsy.  Bromide  of  Potassium  is 
the  remedial  substance. 
Mr.  Taylor  moved,  and  carried,  that  all  papers  which  had  been 
read  and  not  referred,  be*  now  accepted  and  referred  to  the  Ex- 
ecutive Committee. 
Dr.  Squibb  exhibited  another  specimen  of  Virginia  Opium, 
brought  by  Mr.  Brewer  of  the  house  of  W.  H.  SchiefFelin  &  Co., 
and  presented  in  addition  to  that  already  furnished. 
Dr.  Squibb  read  a  volunteer  paper  on  the  economy  of  Alcohol 
in  percolation,  which  was  on  motion  referred  to  the  Executive 
Committee  for  publication. 
[This  paper  is  an  attempt  in  a  new  direction,  fractional  percolation 
accompanied  by  analysis  and  therapeutic  testings.  The  object  of  the 
writer  was  to  determine  in  this  way  when  a  substance  was  exhausted  by 
careful  manipulation  in  a  percolator,  so  as  to  ascertain  to  what  extent 
the  quantity  of  menstruum  might  be  decreased  without  interfering  with 
the  value  of  the  preparation.  It  is  also  suggested,  that  if  at  a  certain 
point  the  percolation  be  stopped  the  resulting  percolate  has  the  medicinal 
value  of  the  standard  finished  preparation  of  the  Pharmacopoeia;  that  is 
to  say,  in  many  instances  a  simple  percolate,  in  bulk  three-fourths  to  seven- 
eighths  of  the  officinal  quantity  from  16  troy  ounces  of  a  drug,  is  equiva- 
lent in  strength  to  the  officinal  fluid  extract,  so  that  the  large  remainder 
of  the  alcohol  directed  in  the  process  is  consumed  to  isolate  the  remain- 
ing one-fourth  or  one-eighth,  as  the  case  may  be.    If  now  the  process  be 
