AmbJe°cU,r'i8>78?rm*}  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  597 
per  cent,  alcohol  until  12  fluidounces  of  tincture  are  obtained,  dissolving  in  this  6 
drops  of  oil  of  orange  and  2  drops  of  oil  of  cinnamon,  and  adding  4  fluidounces 
of  syrup. 
A  very  comprehensive  paper  on  Erythroxylon  coca,  by  James  G.  Steele,  was  also 
read.  Mr.  Steele  reduces  the  leaves  to  powder  by  grinding  them  with  one-third 
their  weight  of  sugar  5  the  powder  is  exhausted  with  a  mixture  of  equal  measures 
of  strong  alcohol  and  water,  the  fluid  extract  being  obtained  by  expressing  strongly 
at  least  twice,  no  heat  being  employed.  If  bicarbonate  of  potassium  had  been 
added  during  the  process,  the  taste  of  the  fluid  extract  was  less  agreeable  and  the 
effects  were  less  convincing  than  with  the  hydro-alcoholic  fluid  extract. 
Mr.  H.  J.  Rose,  however,  stated  that  he  had  obtained  very  favorable  results  with 
a  fluid  extract  of  coca  in  the  preparation  of  which  a  small  quantity  of  syrup  of  lime 
had  been  used. 
Query  5,  on  the  affinity  of  glycerin  for  nvater  was  continued  to  Mr.  Kennedy  at 
his  request  ;  his  experiments  are  not  yet  concluded,  but  thus  far  have  proved  that 
glycerin,  when  exposed  to  a  damp  atmosphere,  absorbs  much  larger  quantities  of 
water  than  is  generally  supposed. 
Query  7  was  answered  verbally  by  Dr.  Menninger.  The  damiana  originally 
introduced  is  a  species  of  Turnera  5  another  variety  is  a  species  of  Haplopappus. 
Neither  the  one  nor  the  other  possesses  the  aphrodisiac  properties  for  which  the  drug 
has  been  lauded. 
Mr.  S.  A.  D.  Sheppard's  paper  on  compound  resin  cerate  suggested  the  substitution 
•of  the  linseed  oil  by  an  equal  quantity  of  paraffin  oil,  for  preventing  the  preparation 
from  becoming  tough.  Expressed  oil  of  almonds  will  likewise  obviate  the  dif- 
ficulty, but  it  is  less  desirable  than  paraffin  oil. 
Prof.  Sharpies,  in  answer  to  query  10,  reported  a  considerable  number  of  poison- 
ous or  injurious  substances  used  for  coloring  candies,  among  which  may  be  mentioned 
gamboge,  chromate  and  other  compounds  of  lead,  compounds  of  copper,  arsenic, 
antimony,  cadmium,  etc. 
A  very  interesting  paper  on  the  berries  of  Benzoin  odoriferum,  by  Dr.  A.  W. 
Miller,  was  read  and  samples  of  the  products  exhibited.  By  warm  expression  and  by 
subsequent  treatment  of  the  press  cake  with  gasolin,  the  author  obtained  50  percent, 
of  fixed  oil,  having  the  consistence  of  castor  oil,  and  a  greenish  brown  color.  The 
berries  were  found  to  contain  about  1  per  cent,  of  a  thin  bright  green  volatile  oil, 
[having  the  specific  gravity  '850,  and  resembling  in  taste  that  of  allspice  and  prickly 
,ash  ;  it  appears  to  possess  carminative  properties. 
Query  17  was  answered  in  a  paper  by  E.  L.  Boerner,  who  recommends,  in  prepar- 
ing fluid  extract  of  colchicum  seed  to  deprive  the  powdered  seeds  of  fixed  oils  by  treat- 
ment with  gasolin,  which  is  preferable  for  this  purpose  to  ether,  the  latter  solvent 
dissolving  also  notable  quantities  of  colchicia.  The  advantages  of  this  treatment 
are,  that  the  preparation  is  free  from  fixed  oils  ;  hence  is  more  elegant  in  appearance, 
mixes  with  aqueous  liquids  without  causing  turbidity,  and  may  perhaps  be  useful 
for  hypodermic  medication,  if  the  glycerin  be  omitted. 
Mr.  Shinn  reported  verbally  on  fluid  extract  of  wild  cherry  and  exhibited  various 
samples.    The  treatment  of  the  powdered  bark  with  a  mixture  of  glycerin  and 
