Amv™r,  x8P7h7arm' }  Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  6 1 7 
traces  of  iron,  some  magnesium  and  notable  quantities  of  lithium;  the  examination 
was  made  in  the  College  laboratory  by  Mr.  Betz. 
Mr.  Shinn  presented  a  specimen  of  so-called  rock  soap  from  California,  which, 
mixed  with  an  equal  quantity  of  soap,  is  employed  there  as  a  detergent  ;  it  was 
thought  that  in  composition  it  was  a  silicious  talc.  Mr.  Neppach  stated  that  a  similar 
article  was  obtained  on  the  coast  of  Oregon. 
Prof.  Remington  was  called  to  the  chair  while  Mr.  Bullock  gave  some  account  of 
the  seeds  of  Sophoia  speciosa,  in  which  an  apparently  new  alkaloid  has  been 
recently  observed  by  Prof.  H.  C.  Wood,  Jr.,  of  this  city  ;  one-half  of  a  seed  is  said 
to  be  sufficient  to  produce  delicious  exhilaration,  followed  by  a  sleep  lasting  one  or 
two  days,  and  a  whole  seed  is  sufficient  to  kill  a  man.  Through  the  kindness  of  a 
correspondent,  in  San  Antonio,  Texas,  Mr.  Bullock  had  obtained  a  sample  of  the 
seeds  which  he  exhibited  ;  these  are  somewhat  irregular  in  shape,  with  a  general  dis- 
position to  an  oval  form,  the  large  ones  having  a  longitudinal  diameter  of  y6^-  of  an 
inch,  and  a  transverse  diameter  of  ;  their  color  varies  from  pale  to  dark  red,  the 
testa  is  horny,  from  Tf ^  to  Tf  q  of  an  inch  in  thickness,  the  interior  is  a  white  oily 
kernel,  having  a  slightly  bitter  taste.  The  seed  yields  its  coloring  matter  to  dilute 
but  not  to  strong  alcohol  ;  nor  has  it  yet  been  determined  in  what  part  the  medicinal 
activity  of  the  bean  resides,  but  the  probability  is  that  it  is  in  the  testa.  The 
seeds  are  contained  in  a  pod  of  yellowish-brown  color  varying  from  1  to  2§  inches 
in  length,  and  enclosing  from  one  to  five  seeds.  When  a  further  supply,  which  has 
been  promised,  shall  have  been  received,  the  chemical  character  of  the  constituents 
will  be  worked  out.  Prof.  Wood,  Jr.,  proposed  to  name  the  new  alkaloid  Sophoria. 
A  sample  of  berries  was  presented  by  a  member  present  to  whom  they  had  been 
sold  as  nutgalls  ,•  they  were  recognized  by  Prof.  Maisch  as  orange  berries  or  small 
immature  oranges. 
Mr.  Boring  exhibited  a  specimen  of  fluid  extract  of  glycyrrhiza,  made  by  a  pro- 
cess of  insuccation,  published  by  Mr.  H.  Biroth  in  the  Chicago  "  Pharmacist,"  his 
method  being  essentially  the  exhaustion  of  16  troyouncesof  the  concised  root  with 
4  pints  of  water  containing  8  fiuidounces  of  glycerin,  followed  by  another  4 
pints  of  water,  and  the  whole  evaporated  to  the  measure  of  a  pint  5  the  objection 
to  this  process,  in  Mr.  Boring's  opinion,  was  the  unnecessary  amount  of  evaporation 
required  to  bring  it  to  the  proper  bulk. 
This  latter  preparation  induced  considerable  discussion  relative  to  the  best  means 
of  disguising  the  taste  of  bitter  medicines,  particularly  that  of  quinia.  Prof.  Maisch 
asked  whether  the  members  had  noticed  the  occurrence  of  a  precipitate  on  mixing 
aqueous  solutions  of  quinia  and  ammoniacal  glycyrrhizin.  Mr.  Mclntyre  stated 
that  it  had  been  noticed  by  him,  and  Prof.  Maisch  suggested  that  this  might  in  part 
account  for  the  tastelessness  of  the  mixture.  Mr.  Boring  stated  that  it  was  very  im- 
portant to  exclude  all  alcohol  from  the  quinia  mixtures  where  the  taste  had  to  be 
masked. 
Mr.  Boring  called  attention  to  some  of  the  products  of  a  company  organized  in 
this  city  for  the  purpose  of  utilizing  the  carcases  of  animals  not  useful  for  food  ;  the 
skins  are  first  removed,  the  hoofs  and  foot  bones  are  kept  separate,  from  which  neats 
foot  oil  is  prepared  ;  tendons  are  used  to  make  glue,  the  remainder  of  the  carcas  is 
placed  in  close  boilers  and  subjected  to  the  action  of  the  vapor  of  petroleum  benzin  ; 
