232  Minutes  of  Pharmaceutical  Meetings.  {AVayi;£™' 
tween  Military  Physicians  and  Pharmacists.  It  stated  that  Mr.  Poggiale's 
efforts  had  succeeded  in  making  the  grades  alike,  and  maintaining  the  equality 
of  the  two  branches  ;  but  lately  attempts  had  been  made,  not  only  to  subordi- 
nate pharmacy  to  medicine,  but  even  to  suppress  the  pharmaceutic  service  in 
the  army.  Mr.  Poggiale,  for  himself  and  the  military  pharmacists,  thanked 
Mr.  Boudet,  who  had  read  the  essay  and  commented  upon  it  approvingly. 
Mr.  Bussy  reported  on  the  transactions  of  the  Academie  des  Sciences,  and 
gave  an  account  of  the  precautions  adopted  by  Dupuy  de  Lome,  resulting  to  a 
certain  degree  in  steeriDg  balloons  ;  also  on  the  debates  on  fermentation. 
Mr.  Buignet  related  the  interesting  researches  on  crystallized  digitalin,  in 
competition  for  the  Orfila  prize. 
Mr.  Roucher  read  a  long  paper  on  distinguishing  between  the  fibres  consti- 
tuting vegetable  tissues  by  means  of  the  microscope,  sulphuric  acid  and  iodine. 
Mr.  Marais  stated  that  towards  the  end  of  1871,  the  thermometer  having 
fallen  to  — 22°  C,  and  the  stem  of  Cerasus  laurocerasus  being  frozen,  a  singu- 
lar alteration  was  observed  in  its  leaves,  proceeding  from  the  petiole  towards 
the  margin,  rarely  from  the  border  towards  the  centre.  Immediately  after  this 
period  of  cold,  the  leaves  would  still  yield  volatile  products,  but  no  hydrocy- 
anic acid.  It  would  be  interesting  to  ascertain  whether  the  emulsin  alone  had 
been  altered,  for  which  purpose  Messrs.  Bourgoin  and  Gobley  suggested  to 
treat  the  bruised  leaves  with  emulsion  of  sweet  almonds. 
Mr.  Vuaflard  has  prepared  a  tincture  of  cundurango,  the  efficacy  of  which 
in  cancerous  affections  he  considers  exceedingly  doubtful. 
Ithmtcs  0f  t\t  f  Ijarmamtiital  Heelings. 
A  pharmaceutical  meeting  was  held  April  16th,  1872,  President  in  the  chair- 
The  minutes  of  last  meeting  were  read  and  approved. 
Prof.  Maisch  presented  the  report  of  the  Smithsonian  Institution  for  1870. 
The  Professor  also  read  a  paper  styled  "  Pharmacognostical  Notes,"  which 
was  referred  for  publication.  Some  remarks  were  made  upon  the  use  of  Inula 
for  hydrophobia — some  assert  its  positive  cure. 
Samples  of  an  herb  were  exhibited  by  Prof.  Parrish,  which  is  sold  under  the 
name  of  "  wild  tea,"  and  used  in  cancerous  affections.  It  does  not  appear  to  be 
the  New  Jersey  tea  Ceanothus  Americana.  It  was  referred  to  Prof.  Maisch  for 
examination. 
Prof.  Parrish  exhibited  a  model  in  plaster,  handsomely  gilded,  of  the  cele- 
brated gold  nugget,  "The  Welcome,"  weighing  2166  oz.,  value  £8376, 10s.,  lOd. 
The  original  of  this  model  is  in  the  Kensington  Museum,  of  London. 
Prof.  Parrish  exhibited  a  sample  of  coated  pills,  sent  from  Kngland,  very 
handsome,  but,  as  compared  with  sugar  coated  pills,  not  so  soluble. 
Prof.  Maisch  read  a  paper  on  benzine  as  a  solvent  for  Oleoresins  compared 
with  ether,  which  was  referred  for  publication.  Mr.  Bullock  remarked  that 
some  oleoresins  were  nearly  insoluble  in  benzine. 
Prof.  Maisch  detailed  the  result  of  his  experiments  on  Monobromated  Cam- 
