AmFe°bUym7arm  }  Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  107 
pence ;  it  should  be  two  shillings  (50  cents)  when  at  par,  and  I  trust  that  when 
I  leave  the  country  it  may  be  at  a  favorable  rate  of  exchange  to  somewhat 
compensate  me  for  the  heat  and  fevers  that  I  have  endured  since  entering  the 
country. 
I  trust  these  lines  may  have  proved  of  interest  to  you,  and  that  it  may  not  be 
many  days  before  I  can  be  present  at  one  of  your  social  gatherings. 
John  A.  Falck. 
MINUTES  OF  THE  PHARMACEUTICAL  MEETING. 
Philadelphia,  January  18th,  1887. 
The  fourth  of  the  present  series  of  pharmaceutical  meetings  was  held  this 
day,  Mr.  Wm.  B.  Webb  being  called  to  preside.  The  minutes  of  the  last  meet- 
ing were  read,  and  there  being  no  corrections  required,  they  were  approved. 
Donations  to  the  library  and  cabinet  being  in  order,  the  actuary  presented 
the  fourth  edition  of  the  National  Dispensatory  from  Prof.  Maisch  ;  Buffon's 
work  on  oviparous  quadrupeds  and  serpents,  in  four  volumes ;  and  from  Dr. 
Andrews,  through  Dr.  A.  W,  Miller,  a  copy  of  "  House-plants  as  Sanitary 
Agents."  On  motion,  a  vote  of  thanks  was  directed  to  be  returned  to  the 
donors  by  the  actuary. 
Professor  Trimble  presented  to  the  cabinet  a  remarkably  fine  specimen  of 
Thymol,  which  Mr.  Jenks  had  given  him  for  that  purpose.  It  had  deposited 
from  a  five-pint  bottle  of  oil  of  horsemint  that  had  been  standing  for  a  long 
time  undisturbed. 
Mr.  Webb,  who  was  absent  from  the  last  meeting,  remarked  that  he 
observed  upon  the  reading  of  the  minutes  that  oil  of  camphor  is  largely  im- 
ported, but  a  use  for  it  was  not  stated.  This  oil  is  largely  used  as  a  rubefacient 
in  veterinary  practice,  one  dealer  who  supplied  some  large  stables  with  it  buy- 
ing it  in  quantities  of  500  pounds  at  a  time. 
Professor  Trimble  read  a  paper  on  Terebene,  by  Dr.  H.  W.  Jayne  and  Mr.  Gr. 
H.  Chase,  which  was  listened  to  with  a  great  deal  of  interest.  There  has  been 
considerable  interest  manifested  in  terebene  as  a  remedy  in  pulmonary  affec- 
tions, and  it  has  been  used  considerably  by  several  physicians  who  make  throat 
and  lung  diseases  their  specialty.  The  paper  was  illustrated  by  a  table,  to 
which  Professor  Trimble  called  attention,  showing  that  the  variations  in  spe- 
cific gravity  did  not  indicate  in  any  wise  the  purity  of  the  preparation;  this  is 
indicated  only  by  its  being  devoid  of  any  rotary  power  in  the  polariscope.  On 
motion,  a  vote  of  thanks  was  ordered  to  be  returned  to  Dr.  Jayne  and  Mr. 
Chase  for  their  interesting  and  valuable  paper.  The  paper  was  referred  to  the 
publishing  committee. 
Dr.  Miller  exhibited  a  specimen  of  a  bark  which  Dr.  McCollin,  Demonstrator 
of  Pharmacy  in  the  Jefferson  Medical  College,  received  from  a  student  of  that 
College,  a  Chinaman.  The  peculiarity  is  that  the  bark  when  broken  trans- 
versely shows  a  layer  of  silky  fibers  which  still  hold  the  two  pieces  together. 
Another  specimen  exhibited  was  the  fruit  of  a  plant  said  to  furnish  a  variety 
of  tapioca. 
Professor  Remington  exhibited  two  balances  of  the  variety  known  as  torsior 
balances.   They  depend  upon  the  tension  of  a  wire  which  has  been  strained 
