AmMa°;Ti8?8arm'}         Oil  of  Wild  Cherry  Kernels.  1 1 1 
trays,  which  are  kept  in  a  dry  atmosphere,  ranging  from  700  to  8o°F., 
for  about  two  days,  when  they  are  scraped  to  remove  any  rough  edges 
left  by  the  joints  of  the  moulds,  and  the  rough  ends  trimmed  off.  In 
this  manner  I  have  made  quite  a  number  of  bougies,  which  have  been 
used  by  our  physicians  with  considerable  success.  They  will  dissolve 
in  water  of  ioo°  to  I03°F.  in  from  10  to  15  minutes,  and  in  the 
urethra  in  from  1  to  3  hours.  They  are  quite  flexible  and  elastic,  being 
readily  tied  into  a  knot  and  untied  again,  and  do  not  either  break  as 
Reynal's  or  mash  up  as  Allan's,  when  handled  only  becoming  more 
flexible  and  elastic,  resembling  the  bougies  and  catheters  of  elastic  hard 
rubber  which  have  lately  come  into  use.  They  can  be  easily  intro- 
duced into  the  urethra  by  either  dipping  in  water  or  slightly  oiling  them. 
OIL  OF  WILD  CHERRY  KERNELS. 
By  Herman  Betz. 
[Read  at  Alumni  Meeting,  February  7,  1878.) 
This  oil  is  obtained  from  the  kernels  of  the  fruit  of  Cerasus  sero- 
tina,  by  hot  expression.  For  several  years  the  kernel  of  the  wild 
cherry,  enclosed  in  the  shell  or  endocarp,  has  appeared  in  quan- 
tities in  the  market,  at  such  a  price  as  to  induce  manufacturers  to 
express  the  oil,  which  may  find  a  use  in  medicine  or  the  arts.  The 
kernels,  together  with  the  shell,  are  ground  to  a  fine  powder,  which  is 
carefully  dried,  and  expressed  in  the  cylinder  of  a  hydraulic  press  at 
about  2,000  pounds  to  the  square  inch.   The  yield  is  about  5  per  cent. 
Although  great  care  is  ussd  to  avoid  all  dampness  of  the  powder, 
the  oil  has  a  slight  odor  of  bitter  almonds,  which,  however,  is  not 
injurious  ;  the  taste  is  sweetish,  agreeable  ;  the  color  is  dark  green  and 
is  not  extracted  by  water  or  alcohol,  hot  or  cold.  Sp.  gr.  0*906.  It 
becomes  solid  at  I5°F.  ;  the  point  of  ebullition  is  above  the  boiling 
point  of  mercury  ;  it  then  takes  fire  and  burns  with  a  yellow  flame, 
leaving  a  pitch-like  residue.  Vapors  are  given  off  at  28o°F.,  but  are 
not  disagreeable  until  the  temperature  reaches  6oo°F.;  it  would  for 
that  reason  be  well  adapted  for  an  oil-bath.  The  oil  is  insoluble  in 
alcohol,  but  freely  soluble  in  ether,  chloroform,  oil  of  turpentine,  olive 
oil  and  benzin. 
As  characteristic  may  be  taken  its  slight  bitter  almond  odor  and  high 
boiling  point.    It  can  be  distinguished  from  oil  of  laurel,  which  has  a 
