37 8  Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  { K^^$fi?m' 
Diseases  of  Plants — From  the  accounts  of  the  ancient  writers  it  seems  that  the 
most  frequently  observed  disease  was  the  smut,  or  dust-brand,  which  is  due  to  the 
appearance  of  a  small  fungus,  Uredo  segetum,  and  was  described  by  Plinius  under 
the  name  of  Ustilago  rustica. 
Similar  diseases  are  the  rust  (rubigo),  which  was  called  erysibe,  or  erydibe,  and 
another  appearing  upon  fruit-bearing  trees  called  epachnion,  and  against  all  these 
visitations  Appllo  and  Demeter  (Ceres)  were  implored  5  hence  their  names  Apollon 
erysibios  and  Demeter  erysibie. 
A  very  annoying  disease  appears  in  Greece  upon  the  fig  trees,  and  frequently  not 
only  the  fruit,  but  all  branches  are  found  covered  with  insects  which  cause  the 
immature  fruit  to  drop  off  and  thus  become  useless. 
The  above  miscellaneous  notes  were  furnished  by  Prof.  X.  Landerer,  Athens, 
Greece. 
MINUTES  OF  THE  PHARMACEUTICAL  MEETING, 
The  last  pharmaceutical  meeting  was  held  on  May  15th,  1877,  A.  P.  Brown  in 
the  chair.    The  minutes  of  the  previous  meeting  were  read  and  approved. 
The  following  publications  were  donated  to  the  Library  :  Year-Book  of  Phar- 
macy and  Transactions  of  the  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference  for  1876  5  Report 
of  the  Jamaica  Collection  of  Products  at  the  International  Exhibition,  18765  Report 
of  the  State  Board  of  Pharmacy  of  Rhode  Island  and  Providence  Plantations,  1877. 
From  Wallace  Procter,  80  volumes  of  various  publications.  From  Prof.  Bridges, 
9  volumes  Annuaire  de  Therapeutique. 
Donations  to  the  Cabinet :  From  Prof.  Maisch,  a  specimen  of  Eryodiction  Cali- 
fornicum.  From  Charles  Dodson,  of  Frederick  Brown  &  Co.,  a  drawing  of  Larinus 
maculatus,  a  beetle,  and  specimens  of  the  cocoons  called,  in  Persia,  trehala,  and  the 
peculiar  sugar  trehalose  contained  therein,  to  the  amount  of  28*9  per  cent  ,  and  iden- 
tical with  or  closely  related  to  mycose  of  ergot. 
From  Jos.  Harrop,  two  samples  of  subnitrate  of  bismuth,  one  of  cream  of  tartar, 
an  iron  mortar,  and  several  graduated  measures,  fractured  at  the  base. 
P.  P.  Fox  stated  that  he  made  use  of  such  measures  by  standing  them  erect  in  a 
flat  tin  box,  and  filling  in  around  the  base  with  plaster  Paris. 
P.  P.  Fox  read  a  paper  on  Tincture  of  Kino,  which  will  not  gelatinize  (see  page 
299),  which  lead  to  some  remarks  concerning  the  use,  for  the  same  purpose,  of 
a  stronger  alcohol  than  directed  by  the  "  Pharmacopoeia." 
C.  L.  Mitchell  exhibited  soluble  medicated  bougies,  made  of  gelatin  with  10  per 
cent  of  glycerin,  and  medicated  with  2  and  3  per  cent,  of  some  metallic  salts  and 
narcotic  extracts  5  they  are  introduced  under  the  name  of  Porte  remede,  and  are 
intended  to  replace  injections  in  the  treatment  of  urethral  diseases.  Many  advan- 
tages are  claimed  for  this  method  of  medication,  which  was  introduced  by  M. 
Regnal,  of  France,  and  afterwards  patented  by  certain  parties  in  this  country.  A 
similar  mass  has  been  previously  used  for  making  suppositories  and  pessaries. 
