48 
Pharmaceutical  Meeting. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pbarm. 
X     January,  1900. 
about  taking  up  the  subject  of  the  alkaloids.  He,  furthermore,  moved  that  a 
vote  of  thanks  be  tendered  Dr.  Dohme  and  this  motion  was  unanimously  adopted. 
Professor  Kraemer  was  particularly  glad  that  in  the  conclusion  to  his  paper 
the  author  made  a  practical  application  of  the  knowledge  involved  in  working 
out  the  theories  concerning  the  alkaloids,  for  too  often  knowledge  of  this  char- 
acter is  not  appreciated  at  its  full  value  by  those  interested  in  practical  and 
commercial  questions. 
Referring  to  the  comparison  which  Dr.  Dohme  made  of  the  formulas  of  hy- 
drastine,  narcotine  and  papaverine,  Mr.  Kebler  said  that  it  is  well  known  that 
the  introduction  of  a  single  OH  group  will  change  the  nature  of  some  organic 
compounds  very  materially. 
Dr.  Dohme  replied  that  in  some  of  the  simpler  compounds  an  OH  group 
might  cause  a  considerable  difference,  but  when  complex  substances  like  the 
alkaloids  are  considered,  and  an  endeavor  is  made  to  trace  some  connection  or 
some  relation  between  structure  and  organic  effect,  the  difference  caused  by 
such  a  group  becomes  less  marked. 
In  answer  to  a  query  by  Mr.  Haussmann  as  to  the  cause  of  the  black  color 
produced  when  pilocarpine  and  cocaine  are  mixed  with  calomel,  Dr.  Dohme 
said  that  pilocarpine  is  an  ammonia  derivative  and  hence  affects  calomel,  and 
in  case  of  cocaine  he  thought  that  perhaps  the  CHO  group  would  cause  it  to 
have  a  reducing  action  on  calomel. 
Charles  H.  La  Wall  was  next  on  the  programme  and  read  an  interesting  paper 
entitled  "The  Herb  and  Drug  Vendors  on  the  Sidewalks  of  Philadelphia," 
which  will  be  published  in  full  in  the  February  issue  of  this  Journal.  Mr.  La 
Wall  said  that  he  had  been  collecting  data  on  this  subject  for  several  years  and 
that  he  had  become  very  much  interested  in  it.  Somewhat  surprising  was  the 
statement  made  b}'  him  that  75  per  cent,  of  the  official  drugs  are  growing  within 
a  radius  of  a  few  miles  of  Philadelphia,  and  also  that  more  than  50  per  cent,  of 
the  official  drugs  are  sold  on  the  streets  of  the  city  by  persons  who  earn  a  live- 
lihood by  collecting  them  and  preparing  them  for  sale.  The  paper  was  accom- 
panied by  specimens  and  photographs  of  some  of  the  vendors  and  their  wares. 
Professor  Kraemer  said  that  personally  he  was  very  much  pleased  that  Mr. 
La  Wall  had  taken  up  this  subject.  He  said  that  he  had  known  of  persons 
going  regularly  to  some  one  of  these  vendors  for  certain  products  on  account 
of  their  excellent  quality.  In  this  connection  he  remarked  upon  the  different 
channels  into  which  the  pharmacist's  work  is  going  and  urged  upon  those 
present  the  necessity  of  obtaining  a  knowledge  of  just  such  subjects  as  were 
indicated  in  this  paper.    A  vote  of  thanks  was  likewise  tendered  Mr.  LaWall. 
Mr.  C.  Carroll  MejTer  spoke  of  the  cheapness  and  neatness  of  the  packages  of 
crude  drugs  put  up  by  wholesale  houses  for  retail  purposes,  but  said  that  their 
quality  was  not  likely  to  be  known  to  the  pharmacist. 
Mr.  E.  M.  Boring  exhibited  a  sample  of  oil  of  orange,  which,  though  quite 
old,  was  still  in  a  state  of  preservation.  This  he  said  was  due  to  the  addition 
first  of  a  small  quantity  of  alcohol  and  then  of  water.  Mr.  Shinn  said  that  he 
had  also  used  a  similar  method — the  difference  being  that  he  washed  out  the 
alcohol  from  the  oil  with  the  water,  after  which  the  oil  kept  very  well. 
On  motion,  the  meeting  adjourned. 
Florence  Yaple, 
Secretary  pro  tern. 
