Amj^ne!'if94arm' }  Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  315 
MINUTES  OF  THE  PHARMACEUTICAL  MEETING. 
Phh.adei.phia,  May  15,  1894. 
The  meeting  was  called  to  order,  Professor  Trimble  nominating  Joseph  W. 
England,  Ph.G.,  as  chairman. 
The  minutes  of  the  last  meeting  were  read  and  approved. 
The  Registrar  presented,  on  behalf  of  Mr.  John  A.  Pemberton,  Prof.  Asa 
Gray's  work,  "  How  Plants  Grow." 
Prof.  E.  S.  Bastin  read  a  very  instructive  and  interesting  paper,  upon 
"Economic  Botany,"  which  he  defined  to  be  botany  applied  to  the  wants  and 
uses  of  mankind.  This  is  very  fully  illustrated  in  the  adaptation  and  improve- 
ment of  plants  for  food  through  the  labors  of  scientific  botanists. 
In  pharmacy  we  notice  this  remarkably  in  the  Cinchonas  of  India,  which  are 
two  or  three  times  as  rich  in  alkaloidal  constituents  as  when  first  found  in  their 
native  regions.    The  paper  is  published  on  p.  282,  of  this  number. 
The  next  paper  was  one  on  "Lead  in  Tartrates,"  as  a  continuation  of  the 
subject  of  "Lead  in  Citrates,"  which  was  read  a  few  meetings  since  ;  as  tar- 
taric acid  is  rarely  found  in  the  original  crystalline  state  in  commerce,  but 
nearly  always  in  powdered  form,  the  impurity  is  not  so  easily  detected  by 
physical  means.  Lead  left  in  contact  with  a  solution  of  tartaric  acid  will  show 
evident  signs  of  it  in  twelve  hours.  Rochelle  salt  is  nearly  always  extremely 
pure,  and  in  cream  of  tartar  there  is  merely  a  trace  ;  in  Seidlitz  powders  the 
contents  of  the  blue  paper  is  nearly  pure,  while  the  white  occasionally  is 
tainted  with  lead  ;  if  possible,  it  should  be  eliminated  entirely,  as  lead  is  a 
cumulative  poison,  and  is  not  thrown  off  by  the  system. 
Prof.  Trimble  read  a  paper  upon  "  Four  Oak  Barks  from  India." 
Mr.  England  called  attention  to  a  specimen  of  our  American  Carbolic  Acid, 
which  was  snow  white  when  first  obtained,  but  on  exposure  in  a  glass  container 
to  the  air,  it  became  quite  discolored. 
A  specimen  of  Japanese  Camphor  was  exhibited,  which  was  of  much  denser 
structure  than  that  refined  in  America,  said  to  be  occasioned  by  the  sublimation 
being  conducted  at  a  higher  temperature. 
"Glassine  "  labels  were  exhibited;  being  celluloid,  it  was  feared  that  alco- 
holic and  ethereal  solutions  would  be  very  hurtful  to  them. 
Sublimated  peat,  an  article  made  in  Holland,  but  sold  in  Paris.  It  is  peat 
well  cleaned  and  then  treated  with  a  weak  solution  of  mercuric  chloride.  It  is 
preferable  to  Oakum,  as  it  is  less  stimulating. 
An  imitation  Coffee  was  exhibited  ;  the  composition  was  said  to  be  Rye  flour, 
Chicory,  Clay,  Molasses,  and  the  seller  stated  that  when  mixed  in  proportion  of 
25  per  cent,  with  true  Coffee  it  cannot  be  distinguished.  It  is  quite  similar  to 
some  exhibited  a  few  years  since  at  one  of  the  pharmaceutical  meetings.  The 
industry  has  recently  been  revived. 
Mr.  Thompson,  in  a  paper,  called  attention  to  the  inferiority  of  the  Oak 
wood  now  in  the  market,  and  that  of  some  hundred  years  ago. 
On  motion,  all  the  papers  were  referred  to  the  publication  committee. 
Prof.  Trimble  exhibited,  without  recommendation,  a  poison  bottle  of  such 
device  (representing  a  human  skull)  that  it  was  thought  it  might  prevent  the 
contents  being  misused.  The  sentiment  of  the  meeting,  however,  was  opposed 
to  the  idea  of  an  odd-shaped  bottle  preventing  mistakes. 
