384 
EDITORIAL. 
powder, for some minutes, when the peculiar taste of magnesia is 
slowly perceived. Husband's gives the magnesian taste sooner 
than Henry's and more decidedly, but is quite smooth on the tongue. 
Ellis's gives the taste yet more distinctly, and is also smooth on the 
tongue. The greater taste in the two latter is due to their quicker solu- 
bility in the saliva. When 100 grains of each specimen was kept at 
a red heat for half an hour in a platina crucible, Husband's lost 7.5 
grains, whilst Henry's and Ellis's lost but .7 of a grain. As neither 
gave evidence of containing carbonic acid when dissolved in muriatic 
acid, the loss is attributable to water, accidentally present in the two 
last, but designed in Husband's, which is therefore a sub-hydrate of 
magnesia. A few drops of solution of ferrocyanuret of potassium 
was added to each of the muriatic solutions of the magnesia ; a per- 
ceptible blueness was evidenced by Henry's and Ellis's, but only a 
tinge of green by Husband's. After standing 24 hours they each de- 
posited Prussian blue, Husband's but a trace, Henry's more, Ellis's most. 
The water and acid used were proved to be free from iron by a paral- 
lel experiment. When each magnesia is placed on a sheet of paper, 
and a smooth spatula drawn over it with pressure, Henry's is the 
smoothest and least inclined to adhere to the paper or knife, Hus- 
band's more adherent, and Ellis's decidedly more so. The particles 
of the first two have less inclination to cohere than Ellis's, and are in 
this respect more like precipitated chalk. 
They all mix readily with water by mere agitation, but from the 
nature of the particles, Henry's mixes most readily, but separates the 
soonest, and Ellis's, as has been stated, remains longest in suspension. 
In conclusion, it may be stated, that whilst Henry's magnesia is 
taken with less inconvenience from taste, Husband's and Ellis's, by 
reason of their more ready solubility, act more quickly, and probably 
more efficiently, weight for weight, and are better calculated for mix- 
tures where suspensibility is an advantage. 
Pharmaceutical Museum. — For some time past a committee of the 
Philadelphia College of Pharmacy have been engaged in carrying out 
a resolution of that body, appropriating certain funds to ihe commence- 
of a Museum, of Chemical, Botanical, Pharmaceutical and Materia 
Medica specimens. They have had cases made, furnished with 
glass-ware of sizes to suit the purposes of such a cabinet, and a large 
number of them have been filled with well selected specimens. As 
there are many of the Graduates of the Institution located in various 
parts of the United Stales, in positions where they can obtain objects 
of pharmaceutical interest, we hope they will remember their Alma 
Mater when they meet with specimens calculated to enrich its col- 
lection. 
