606        Pharmaceutical  Colleges  and  Associations.  { AmbJecU,r'x8P78arm" 
participated  in  the  discussion  thought  it  was  unwise  to  dispense  such  oil  as  had 
undergone  any  process  by  which  its  remedial  powers  could  be  in  any  wise  impaired. 
Prof.  Maisch,  on  behalf  or  Mr.  Garcia,  a  student  of  the  present  class  from 
Cuba,  presented  a  pod  of  Theobroma  cacao,  and  also  one  of  Cassia  brasiliana. 
This  last  tree,  a  native  of  Brazil,  has  been  introduced  into  the  West  Indies  and 
grows  there  luxuriantly  5  the  pod  is  thicker  in  diameter  and  longer  and  yields  a 
greater  quantity  of  pulp  but  not  quite  so  sweet  tasted  as  the  Cassia  fistula,  for  which 
it  is  sometimes  substituted. 
Prof.  Maisch  also  exhibited  a  specimen  of  the  Phrysenoma  cornuta  or  horned 
toad,  which  had  been  sent  from  Texas  by  mail  ;  it  was  a  curiosity  to  most  present 
and  is  singular  in  being  able  to  exist  for  a  long  time  without  food ;  this  individual 
had  been  without  food  for  several  days  before  starting  on  his  travels  and  two  or  three 
days  after  his  arrival  here  he  escaped  from  his  cage,  a  paper  box,  and  has  been  wan- 
dering through  the  various  rooms  in  the  college  for  a  week  or  two,  still  shows  signs 
-of  vitality  when  so  inclined. 
Phenol  phtalein  has  heen  mentioned  as  a  test  for  alkalies  by  Mr.  Drew  of  Brook- 
lyn, and  its  delicacy  was  shown  to  be  such  that  a  single  drop  of  alkali  when  added 
Jo  a  dilute  neutral  solution  gives  a  distinct  red  coloration. 
Prof  Maisch  presented  a  photograph  of  the  inflorescence  of  Calla  aethiopica, 
•which  exhibited  partial  transformation  of  the  spathe  into  a  leaf. 
Samples  of  benzoinated  and  carbolized  solution  of  alumina  were  sent  by  Mr.  H. 
<G.  Debrunner,  of  Pittsburg,  and  a  paper  was  read  giving  the  process  for  preparing 
it  (see  page  57a).     On  motion  a  vote  of  thanks  was  tendered  to  Mr.  Debrunner. 
As  a  matter  of  interest  to  the  members  present,  Prof.  Maisch  stated  the  number 
of  the  present  class  to  be  about  166  in  both  junior  and  senior  courses. 
There  being  no  further  business,  on  motion  the  meeting  adjourned. 
Thomas  S.  Wiegand,  Registrar. 
PHARMACEUTICAL  COLLEGES  AND  ASSOCIATIONS. 
New  York  College  of  Pharmacy. — The  conversational  discourse  on  the  evening 
of  November  21st  commenced  with  the  reading  of  a  paper  by  Mr.  D.  C.  Robbins, 
on  Qu'mia  in  Commerce.  A  history  was  given  of  quinia  since  1820,  with  the  market 
variations  as  affected  by  the  principal  intervening  circumstances,  as  the  attempt  of 
the  Peruvian  government,  prior  to  1850,  to  monopolize  the  sale  of  bark,  and  the 
tariff  variations  since  1832,  when  this  article  made  its  first  appearance  in  the  Customs 
List  of  the  country,  it  having  been  classed  previous  to  this  date  as  an  unenumerated 
article  under  5  per  cent,  revenue  duty.  A  list  of  all  the  various  duties  on  bark  and 
quinia  since  1832  was  given,  and  the  opinion  was  expressed  that  our  present  duties 
on  all  the  products  of  cinchona  bark,  as  20  per  cent,  on  sulphate  and  45  per  cent, 
on  other  salts  of  quinia,  taking  into  consideration  the  demand  for  quinia,  was 
objectionable. 
