Am"octu!iS!arm'}    American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  533 
and  the  abolishing  of  the  revenue  tax  on  alcohol  to  be  used  for  manufactur- 
ing purposes,  were  subjects  creating  much  discussion.  A  motion  was  made 
by  Mr.  Canning  and  amended  by  Mr.  Schafer,  that  the  Committee  on  Com- 
mercial Interests, be  instructed  to  confer  with  the  National  Wholesale  Drug 
Association  and  the  various  State  associations  with  reference  to  memoria- 
lizing Congress  to  remove  the  twenty-five  dollar  internal  revenue  license  on 
alcohol  when  sold  by  pharmacists  for  the  actual  necessities  of  medicine. 
An  amendment  was  offered  by  Mr.  W.  S.  Thompson,  that  Congress  be  re- 
quested to  abolish  the  special  license  tax  on  alcohol.  After  further  discus- 
sion the  amendment  was  accepted  by  a  vote  of  37  ayes  to  22  nayes,  and  the 
amended  motion  was  then  adopted. 
The  Section  on  Scientific  Papers  held  three  sessions  on  Wednesday  after- 
noon and  Thursday,  and  organized  by  the  election  of  T.  Eoberts  Baker,  of 
Virginia,  as  chairman ;  A.  B.  Lyons,  of  Michigan,  as  secretary,  and  J.  M. 
Good,  of  Missouri,  as  third  member  of  the  committee. 
Vanillin  and  Extract  of  Vanilla  was  the  subject  of  the  first  paper  read  by 
Clay  W.  Holmes.  Solutions  of  vanillin  of  European  and  American  manu- 
facture were  made,  also  of  coumarin,  and  compared  with  an  extract  of  va- 
nilla of  the  customary  strength,  one  ounce  to  one  pound.  It  was  ascer- 
tained that  vanillin  will  produce  an  artificial  extract  resembling  that  of 
vanilla,  but  not  of  the  strength  indicated  by  the  manufacturers.  However, 
since  the  vanillin  of  commerce  is  an  artificial  product,  not  prepared  from 
vanilla,  the  author  thinks  that  its  solution  should  be  sold  under  its  proper 
name,  and  he  states  that  a  dealer  selling  it  in  the  State  of  New  York  as  ex- 
tract of  vanilla  would  be  violating  the  adulteration  of  food  law.  During  the 
discussion  which  followed,  it  was  stated  that  one  ounce  of  vanillin  may  be 
regarded  as  producing  an  equally  strong  flavor  as  one  pound  of  vanilla,  but 
that  the  former  was  accompanied  by  a  foreign  odor  which  cannot  well  be 
described,  but  was  called  "  pine-odor." 
Fluid  Extract  of  Liquorice-root,  by  G.  W.  Kennedy.  For  sixteen  troyounces 
of  liquorice-root  a  menstruum  is  recommended,  consisting  in  the  beginning 
of  a  mixture  of  alcohol,  five  fluidounces,  glycerin,  three  fiuidounces,  water, 
seven,  and  ammonia  water,  1  fluidounce ;  the  percolation  is  finished  with 
diluted  alcohol;  the  first  twelve  fluidounces  of  percolate  are  reserved,  the 
weaker  percolate  evaporated  to  four  fluidounces,  and  this  is  mixed  with  the 
reserved  portion.  It  is  claimed  that  the  above  amount  of  ammonia  is 
sufficient  to  prevent  precipitation  of  glycyrrhizin,  and  that  the  addition  of 
glycerin  improves  the  appearance  of  the  fluid-extract  and  contributes  to 
its  permanence. 
Prof.  Diehl  stated  that  the  amount  of  ammonia  directed  by  the  pharma- 
copoeia was  about  correct  for  the  pharmacopoeial  process,  the  excess  being 
volatilized  in  evaporating  the  weak  percolate.  Mr.  Ebert  had  observed  that 
a  much  better  fluid-extract  of  liquorice-root  is  obtained  if  heat  be  avoided ; 
for  the  flavoring  of  tobacco  a  serviceable  extract  had  been  prepared  by  the 
use  of  lime-water,  which  was  considered  much  superior  to  that  made  with 
ammonia.  Prof.  Lloyd  had  observed  that  different  samples  of  liquorice-root 
required  different  amounts  of  ammonia.    Prof.  ^Remington  called  atten- 
