262         Pharmaceutical  Colleges  and  Associations.  {AmM°y^i878arm 
bound,  and  the  facility  with  which  reference  may  be  had  in  case  of  renewals  amply 
repays  the  small  expense  and  the  use  of  the  long  brass-wire  file,  which  always  muti- 
lates and  affords  no  protection  from  dirt,  dust  and  flies.  When  permanently  bound 
the  prescriptions  have  the  appearance  of  regularly  bound  volumes. 
Prof.  Maisch  exhibited  a  number  of  seeds,  which  when  polished  and  mounted 
have  been  quite  popular  as  "  charms  " ;  they  are  known  as  "  sea-beans,"  because 
they  are  washed  ashore  on  the  coast  of  Florida  and  other  States  on  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  5  they  are  yielded  by  a  tree  which  is  indigenous  to  the  West  Indian  islands-. 
The  seeds  are  known  in  Cuba  as  Ojo  de  buey,  or  bull's  eye,  but  the  "ox  eyes" 
noticed  by  Grisebach  are  very  different.  A  recent  writer  in  the  "  Scientific  Amer- 
ican "  said  that  the  sea-beans  were  the  product  of  Cytisus  arboreus,  of  Sloane ;  but 
the  plant  noticed  by  De  Candolle  under  this  name  is  a  native  of  Algeria.1 
There  being  no  further  business,  a  motion  to  adjourn  was  carried. 
T.  S.  Wiegand,  Registrar. 
PHARMACEUTICAL  COLLEGES  AND  ASSOCIATIONS. 
Alumni  Association  of  the  Massachusetts  College  of  Pharmacy. — At  the 
monthly  meeting,  held  March  7,  Prof.  Babcock  gave  an  account  of  his  recent  visit 
to  the  Bahama  Islands,  and  exhibited  a  large  number  of  seeds  and  other  vegetable 
products,  among  them  the  so-called  sea-bean,  or  black-eyed  Susan  (see  above).  He 
showed  a  letter  written  two  months  previous  with  the  red  juice  of  the  prickly  peary 
the  fruit  of  the  cochineal  cactus,  and  said  that  it  would  be  interesting  to  ascertain 
what  relation,  if  any,  existed  between  the  coloring  matter  of  the  juice  and  that  of 
the  insect  which  feeds  upon  the  branches  of  the  cactus.  He  described  the  banyan, 
or  wild  Jig,  with  its  numerous  aerial  roots  growing  from  the  branches  and  having 
the  appearance  of  trunks ;  also  the  vegetable  sponge1,  so-called  from  the  entangled 
fibres  of  the  fruit,  which  is  shaped  like  a  cucumber,  the  fibres  being  a  poor  substi- 
tute for  the  sponge  5  also  the  sand-box,  being  the  fruit  of  a  large  tree3  shaped  like  a 
tomato,  and  when  ripe  bursting  with  a  loud  report  and  throwing  the  seeds  to  quite 
a  distance.  He  exhibited  specimens  and  described  the  products  of  the  arnatto 
shrub'',  the  convage  bush'0  and  many  useful  fruits  growing  there,  among  the  latter  one 
called  archee,  or  arkee,  containing  a  pulpy  substance,  eaten  by  the  negroes,  black 
kidney-shaped  seeds  and  a  peculiar  juice,  which  is  used  as  an  indelible  ink;  it  is 
yellow  when  first  applied,  but  rapidly  becomes  darker  and  is  very  permanent. 
A  vote  of  thanks  was  tendered  to  Prof.  Babcock  for  his  very  interesting  and 
instructing  discourse. 
1  The  so-called  sea-bean  undoubtedly  comes  from  Mucuna  altissima,  D.  C,  the  fruit  and  seed  of 
which  are  described  in  Grisebach's  "  Flora  of  the  West  Indian  Islands  "  as  follows  :  "  Legume  6  inches 
long,  i*^  inch  broad  below  its  pointed  top,  callous  on  the  margins,  rusty,  hirsute.  Seeds  orbicular  com- 
pressed, 8  to  10  lines  dlam.,  almost  wholly  surrounded  by  the  rhaphe.  Hab.  Jamaica  !  Wils.  rare,  in- 
mountain  woods,  Manchioneel  (French  islands ;  Panama!  Brazil.) — Editor. 
2  Luna.  spec.     3  Hura  crepitans,  Lin.     4  Bixa  orellana,  Lin.     5  Mucuna  pruriens:  Lin. — Editor. 
