524 
British  Pharmaceutical  Conference.  { 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Oct.,  1877. 
In  his  "Supplementary  Note  on  the  Assay  of  Opium,"  Mr.  B.  S.  Proctor 
described  certain  improvements  he  had  introduced  into  the  method  described  at  the 
last  Conference  meeting.  In  reference  to  this  method  it  is  questionable  whether 
the  extraction  of  opium  by  percolation  satisfies  the  requirements  of  commercial 
analysis.  It  may  also  be  pointed  out  that  in  washing  morphia  when  separated  from 
the  other  alkaloids,  no  fixed  standard  of  the  amount  thus  dissolved  can  be  depended 
upon,  varying  as  it  does  not  only  with  other  conditions  but  notably  according  to  the 
influence  of  certain  very  soluble  bodies  in  causing  other  bodies  by  themselves  insol- 
uble to  pass  into  solution. 
Mr.  W.  W.  Stoddart's  "Notes  on  an  Impurity  in  Oxide  of  Zinc,"  were  directed 
to  the  presence  of  sulphite  of  zinc,  and  in  the  disscussion  which  followed  various 
explanations  were  offered,  the  most  plausible  one  being  that  the  sample  in  question 
had  becii  made  by  ignition  of  the  sulphate  which  constitutes  to  some  extent  a  waste 
product  of  the  autogenous  soldering  process. 
Dr.  Symes  then  read  a  paper  on  "  Sugar  in  Pharmacy,"  in  which  he  described  the 
various  sugars  to  be  found  in  commerce,  their  degree  of  purity  and  impurity,  their 
inversion  by  acids,  and  their  general  use  in  pharmacy.  In  particular  he  showed  that 
the  syrups  of  saffron  and  roses  could  be  readily  prepared  by  making  concentrated 
infusions  and  filtering  upon  granulated  sugar  contained  in  a  hot  water  bath,  with 
frequent  stirrings  till  dry. 
The  meeting  on  Tuesday  concluded  with  a  paper  by  Mr.  A.  W.  Gerrard,  in 
which  he  described  experiments  leading  him  to  the  conclusion  that  Narcissus  Pseudo- 
Narcissus  contained  an  alkaloid  and  certain  other  principles  of  interest.  He  had  not 
obtained  any  product  in  a  state  of  purity,  nor  were  any  analyses  forthcoming  or 
other  evidences  of  identity. 
The  Conference  meeting  of  Wednesday  opened  with  an  interesting  paper  by 
Mr.  E.  Smith,  on  the  "  Materia  Medica  of  Devon."  This,  of  course,  included  a 
sketch  of  the  botany  of  the  county,  and  an  account  of  the  large  copper,  iron,  man- 
ganese, arsenic  and  other  mining  industries  which  are  so  actively  prosecuted.  Mr. 
Smith,  however,  did  not  allude  to  the  diminution  of  pyrites  and  manganese  mining 
brought  about  since  the  large  importation  of  these  minerals  first  commenced. 
The  second  paper  on  Wednesday's  list  was  by  Mr.  G.  F.  Schacht,  who  related 
*c  Some  Experiences  in  the  Equipment  and  Working  of  a  small  Pharmaceutical 
Laboratory."  The  paper  was  illustrated  by  some  excellent  drawings  by  Mr.  J.  T. 
Thompson,  and  gave  rise  to  a  conversation  in  which  many  gentlemen  took  part, 
and  gave  other  personal  experiences  as  to  the  best  form  of  several  pieces  of  labora- 
tory apparatus  and  appliances. 
Mr.  W.  H.  Martin's  "  Note  on  Diphenylamine  as  a  Test  for  Nitric  and  Nitrous 
Acids,"  was  illustrative  of  the  observations  made  previously  by  Professor  Lunge, 
recently  published.  The  test  appears  to  be  an  exceedingly  delicate  one.  In  apply- 
ing it  a  small  granule  of  diphenylamine  is  placed  in  a  test-tube,  and  a  drop  or  two 
of  sulphuric  acid  added,  then  water  so  as  to  increase  the  temperature  in  order  to 
effect  a  perfect  solution  of  the  diphenylamine.  If  to  such  a  prepared  test  solution 
sulphuric  acid  be  added  containing  only  a  trace  of  nitric  or  nitrous  acid  a  beautiful 
permanent  blue  color  is  immediately  produced  at  the  junction  of  the  liquids. 
