534  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  {Am'o™,ri57.arm' 
tion  to  the  change  in  the  menstruum  of  the  completed  preparation,  as  pro- 
posed by  Mr.  Kennedy,  which  would  induce  precipitation.  That  the  phar- 
macopceial  fluid-extract  is  not  clear  was  stated  by  Mr.  Klie,  who  favored 
making  this  preparation  by  repercolation. 
Reference  was  also  made  to  wild  liquorice-root  of  the  southern  States, 
which  is  used  in  some  places  to  a  considerable  extent,  and  is  said  to  be  very 
•similar  to  the  officinal  drug ;  it  is  probably  obtained  from  Glycyrrhiza  lepidota, 
and  an  investigation  of  the  subject  was  promised  by  Mr.  Carraway. 
Liquor  Gutta-perchse  was  the  title  of  the  third  paper  read  by  Professor  Good, 
in  which  he  recommended  in  the  place  of  the  pharmacopceial  process,  to 
dissolve  four  parts  of  select  gutta-percha  in  ninety-six  parts  of  chloroform 
and  filter  the  solution  through  patent  textile  filtering  paper ;  a  solution  con- 
taining five  per  cent,  of  gutta-percha  may  be  readily  filtered.  By  the  use 
of  dentists'  white  purified  gutta-percha  filtration  would  be  avoided ;  but  this 
article  is  sold  at  $1  per  ounce,  while  good  gutta-percha  can  be  purchased 
for  $2,  and  traumaticin  for  $2.75  per  pound.  Prof.  Painter  stated  that  a 
solution  of  gutta-percha  in  commercial  benzol  readily  deposits  the  impu- 
rities contained  in  the  former,  thereby  becoming  perfectly  transparent;  this 
may  be  employed,  or  the  dissolved  portion  may  be  easily  obtained  by 
€vaporation. 
Agents  for  Making  Hydro-alcoholic  or  Aqueous  Solutions  of  Volatile  Oils,  by  Prof. 
€.  O.  Curtman.  Talcum,  purified  by  boiling  with  dilute  hydrochloric  acid 
and  washing  with  water,  was  found  to  be  the  best  material  for  preparing 
medicated  waters  and  allied  solutions  of  volatile  oils;  next  comes  "kiesel- 
guhr,"  which,  however,  requires  to  be  employed  in  somewhat  larger  quan- 
tities; and  nearly  equal  to  this  is  the  Richmond  diatomaceous  earth,  while 
.calcium  phosphate  is  not  eligible.    A  lengthy  discussion  followed  the  read- 
ing of  this  paper,  with  reference  to  the  use  of  magnesium  carbonate,  cal- 
cium phosphate,  glass-wool,  paper-pulp,  and  other  materials  recommended 
for  dividing  the  volatile  oil,  and  of  hot  water  for  dissolving  the  latter.  The 
advantages  and  disadvantages  of  distillation  were  likewise  discussed. 
The  fifth  paper,  by  C.  K.  Gallagher,  of  Washington,  N.  C,  illustrated  an 
apparatus  used  in  the  southern  States  during  the  civil  war  for  the  manufac- 
ture of  saltpetre  for  ammunition,  and  one  for  making  alcohol  for  hospital 
