570         Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  { A%J0™'\87h7arm' 
Mr.  L.  R.  Carbonel,  a  graduate  of  the  college,  presented  through  Prof.  Reming- 
ton, several  pods  of  the  Theobroma  cacao,  the  seed  vessels  of  Bixa  orellana,  from 
which  plant  anatto  is  obtained ;  and  some  seeds  of  the  Castor  Oil  plant,  cultivated 
in  Cuba.  Also  specimens  of  a  plant,  which  Prof.  Maisch  stated  to  be  an  Eupa- 
torium,  and  which  is  used  is  Cuba  both  as  a  purgative  and  emetic  ;  for  the  first 
purpose  in  about  30  grain  doses,  and  double  as  much  for  an  emetic. 
On  behalf  of  Mr.  Neppach,  a  student  of  the  college,  Prof.  Maisch  presented  a 
specimen  of  genuine  Oregon  Balsam  of  Fir,  which  is  probably  the  product  of  Abies 
menziesii,  Lindley,  a  tree  growing  from  Sitka  to  California  and  Colorado,  and  gener- 
ally known  under  the  name  of  balsam.  The  factitious  so-called  Oregon  balsam  of 
fir,  which  was  described  by  Prof.  Maisch  before  ("Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1874,  p. 
106),  was  exhibited  alongside  of  the  genuine  article,  and  observed  to  be  of  a  darker 
color  and  a  terebinthinous  taste,  while  the  new  article  resembled  Canada  balsam  in 
color  and  transparency,  and  had  an  agreeable,  somewhat  different  aromatic  odor. 
Mr.  Neppach  stated  that  the  oleoresin  brought  by  him  was  not  an  article  of  com- 
merce in  Oregon,  where  balsam  of  fir  was  procured  from  the  eastern  section  of 
the  continent 5  but  having  noticed  the  statement  of  Prof.  Maisch  in  1874,  he  obtained 
the  sample  in  Oregon  by  puncturing  the  small  vesicles  which  formed  on  the  bark  of 
the  balsam  tree  of  the  Pacific  coast.  Several  members  who  had  recently  visited 
Canada  described  the  formation  of  these  balsam  vesicles  on  the  trunks  of  Abies 
balsamea,  and  the  manner  of  obtaining  the  oleoresin,  as  reported  by  Mr.  Wm. 
Saunders  at  the  recent  meeting  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association. 
Mr.  Bullock  presented  samples  of  Goa  powder  and  chrysophanic  acid  which 
have  attracted  a  good  deal  of  attention  in  Europe  for  the  last  year,  and  have  been 
largely  used  and  with  success  in  treating  cutaneous  affections,  combined  sometimes 
with  an  alkali  and  sometimes  with  acetic  acid.  He  read  a  paper  on  this  subject 
{see  page  545),  which  was  a  summary  of  the  literature,  both  pharmaceutic  and 
medicinal,  and  was  referred  to  the  Publishing  Committee. 
Prof.  Remington  read  a  paper  by  Mr.  Henry  Trimble  (see  page  536)  upon  the 
use  of  chlorine  water  and  ammonia  as  a  color  test  for  estimating  quinia.  Prof. 
Maisch  said  that  he  was  glad  Mr.  Trimble  had  not  overlooked  the  fact  that  quin- 
idia  produced  a  very  similar  reaction,  and  then  commented  on  the  common  state- 
ment, that  the  presence  of  chlorohydric  acid  prevented  the  appearance  of  the  green 
coloration,  which  he  stated  to  be  erroneous,  the  point  necessary  to  a  successful 
result  being  the  presence  of  sufficient  chlorine  before  the  ammonia  is  added. 
Mr.  Boring  called  attention  to  samples  of  caraway,  the  want  of  flavor  of  which 
first  called  attention  to  its  inferiority  5  when  sieved  about  38  per  cent,  of  very  small 
and  immature  fruits,  almost  devoid  of  taste,  were  separated,  the  remainder  being 
better,  but  still  inferior  to  an  unobjectionable  article  5  the  same  remark  applies  to 
most  of  the  anise  now  offered  for  sale. 
Professor  Remington  read  a  communication  from  Mr.  Fox,  relating  to  greater 
uniformity  of  charges  for  prescriptions,  and  W  the  propriety  of  pharmaceutists 
adopting  a  uniform  mark  for  valuation.  After  some  discussion,  a  motion  by  Israel 
J.  Grahame  prevailed — that  it  was  inexpedient  to  take  any  action  upon  it. 
Mr.  Bullock  called  attention  to  two  samples  of  heavy  powders  sent  him  by  a 
