96 
EDITORIAL. 
The present law requires that the qualifications of the applicant 
be investigated by a committee of examiners, who shall report to the 
Board, and whose favorable opinion shall be necessary to his election 
by that body. It will be seen by reference to the law at page 90 that 
this committee is appointed annually, and without reference to any 
particular applicant, being in fact the same committee who are em- 
powered to act with the professors in examining the pupils of the 
school of Pharmacy; hence there can be no invidious feeling on their 
part against any of the applicants who may come forward. 
We hope that the passage of this law may prove an additional 
stimulus to our students, to make sure of the diploma, which is, in 
fact, admission to membership also, when the graduate desires. 
National Convention for the revision of the Pharmacopoeia. — 
The call for this convention to meet in the City of Washington on the 
first Monday in May 1850, has been made by the proper authority, 
and we wonld call attention to the importance of an early appoint* 
ment of delegates by the several bodies who have a right to repre- 
sentation. These bodies are " the several incorporated State medi- 
cal societies, the incorporated Medical Colleges, the incorporated 
Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons, and the incorporated colleges of 
Pharmacy throughout the United States." The names of the dele- 
gates appointed are to be sent to Dr. G. B. Wood, Philadelphia, Vice 
President of the last Convention. We hope that speedy action in the 
matter will be taken by the societies, &c, interested. 
In a letter just received from Charles A. Smith, Pharmaceutist, of 
Cincinnati, we are informed that a Pharmaceutical Association has 
been formed in that city. We are much pleased to hear this indica- 
tion that our Western friends are awake to the cause of pharmaceuti- 
cal reform, which, we understand, is much needed in that section. 
" The Western Lancet" will be their organ for the present, and we 
shall rejoice to see its pages teem with valuable papers owing their 
origin to ihis movement. 
Mr. Smith has also communicated the following plan for detecting 
stearic and margaric acids, (and spermaceti) in sulphate of quinine, 
by means of chloroform. Six grains of the suspected salt are agitated 
in a test tube with a fluid drachm of chloroform for two minutes, the 
sulphate of qninine is then dissolved out by dilute sulphuric acid, the 
solution separated from the chloroform, which is then wahsed with 
distilled water, and suffered to evaporate gradually on a piece of 
paper. The fatty matter, if present to the extent of ten per cent, will 
be found on the paper, whilst the paper itself will have a greasy 
stain on it. 
