EDITORIAL. 
383 
first  the  idea  of  breaking  the  regular  succession  of  the  meetings  was  un- 
pleasant. But  now  that  it  has  been  decided,  the  question  arises — what 
next?  Will  the  hiatus  thus  created  in  the  annals  of  the  Association  be 
unmarked  by  any  evidence  of  progress?  or  will  the  members  so  far  keep 
alive  the  interests  of  the  Body  as  to  attend  to  the  several  duties  that  de- 
volve upon  them  for  the  present  year,  with  such  other  labor  as  will 
naturally  suggest  itself,  in  the  development  of  our  professional  interests 
abroad  and  at  home  ? 
We  believe  that  every  member  who  accepted  a  subject  or  subjects  for 
investigation  should  early  attend  to  the  duty,  so  as  to  leave  time  fur  any 
additional  labor  that  may  offer.  Volunteer  papers  should  be  numerous  in 
an  interval  of  two  years,  and  should  the  progress  of  events  favor  the  settle- 
ment of  our  national  difficulties,  so  that  the  currents  of  our  business  and 
social  relations  may  return  to  their  wonted  channels,  we  may  look  for 
many  valuable  contributions  to  our  literature,  nut  to  speak  of  the  pleasures 
of  frienilly  intercourse  renewed  after  so  long  a  separation. 
Fluid  Extract  of  Vanilla. — The  following  recipe  was  proiuced  at  one 
of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meetings  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy, 
by  Charles  Shivers,  and  its  publication  was  directed,  as  will  be  seen  by  the 
note  appended  by  the  Secretary,  Dr.  Pile,  but  by  an  accident  it  was  mis- 
laid, and  being  found  too  late  for  insertion  in  the  beginning  of  the  num- 
ber, it  is  placed  here  : 
Fluid  Extract  of  Vanilla. 
Take  of  Yanilla, 
Sand,  (washed),  each  an  ounce. 
Alcohol,  950,  three  fluid  ounces. 
Diluted  Alcohol,  q.  s.  to  make  a  pint. 
Syrup,  if  desired,  two  ounces  to  the  gallon. 
Gut  the  Vanilla  into  short  pieces,  and  bruise  well  with  sand,  then  pack 
in  a  displace r,  add  first  the  strong  alcohol,  then  the  diluted  alcohol,  tu 
make  one  pint.    Let  it  stand  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  filter. 
Upon  motion,  the  above  was  referred  to  the  Publication  Committee. 
The  specimen  I  send  you  was  left  by  Mr.  Shivers  for  that  purpose. 
Yours  truly,  W.  H.  Pilk. 
The  PriARMACOPffiiA  of  1860. — We  have  frequently  received  letters 
querying  after  the  progress  of  the  work  of  revision  of  our  National  Pharma- 
copoeia, and  in  order  to  satisfy,  as  far  as  may  be,  the  desires  of  our  friends, 
we  will  remark  that  the  Committee  have  occupied  themselves  continuously 
with  the  work,  which  has  been  performed  with  great  care  as  far  as  they 
have  gone.  They  are  at  present  engaged  in  the  important  subject  of  the 
Extracts  and  Fluid  Extracts.  There  is  no  probability  that  the  book  will 
be  published  until  some  time  in  1862.    With  every  disposition  to  hasten 
