AMi?.T;m4RM'}  Pharmaceutical  Colleges  and  Associations.  141 
Pharmaceutical  Society  op  Great  Britain. — At  the  pharmaceutical  meet- 
ing held  Feb.  4th,  Mr.  W.  M.  Holmes  read  a  note  on  iodide  of  iron.  A  pre- 
scription calling  for  Potass,  iodid.,  ^i ;  Ferri  iodid.,  ^ss  ;  Syrup  tolut.,  £ij  ;  A q- 
dest.,  ad  %iv,  was  compounded  by  rubbing  the  iron  salt  with  some  reduced5 
iron  and  water,  filtering,  adding  the  potassium  salt,  and  then  the  syrup;  a  pre- 
cipitate occurred  in  a  few  minutes.  But  if  the  syrup  was  added  before  the 
iodide  of  potassium,  the  mixture  remained  clear  for  several  hours,  and  perma- 
nently clear  if  the  free  alkali  of  the  iodide  of  potassium  was  neutralized  by  a 
little  citric  acid.  The  author  suggests,  instead  of  dispensing  solid  iodide  of 
iron  in  mixtures,  to  dissolve  an  equivalent  quantity  of  iodine  in  water,  using  an 
excess  of  reduced  iron. 
An  interesting  discussion  followed  involving  the  question  whether  the  phar- 
macist is  justified  in  such  caees  to  make  a  slight  addition  to  prevent  a  decom- 
position which  would  not  occur  if  the  materials  were  chemically  pure.  The 
majority  of  the  speakers  seemed  to  take  this  view,  but  the  President,  Mr  T.  H. 
Hills,  suggested  that  the  prescribing  physician  be  informed  of  this  necessary 
addition. 
Messrs.  Rimmington,  Williams  and  Hills  spoke  of  the  tasteless  iron  prepa- 
rations as  recommended  by  Mr.  J.  L.  A.  Creuse  (see  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,  1873, 
p.  214  and  385).  These  being  almost  tasteless,  beautiful  and  permanent  com- 
pounds, they  were  recommended  to  be  included  in  the  proposed  additions  to 
the  British  Pharmacopoeia,  if  this  would  not  interfere  with  any  patent  right. 
Mr.  Bland  called  attention  to  the  alkaline  reaction  of  all  commercial  iodide 
of  potassium,  and  believed  there  was  difficulty  in  getting  large-sized  crystals 
when  the  salt  was  perfectly  pure.  Mr.  Williams  said  it  was  quite  true  that  if 
the  solution  was  perfectly  pure,  bad  and  ill  formed  crystals  are  obtained  which 
the  public  will  not  have ;  in  fact,  it  seemed  to  be  the  rule  that  the  more  impure 
the  solution  the  better  the  crystals.  Mr.  Rimmington  said  that  Mr.  Southal! 
had  some  years  ago  manufactured  iodide  of  potassium  in  very  large  and  trans- 
parent crystals  ;  but  Professor  Redwood  said  that  all  specimens  he  had  ever 
seen  had  an  alkaline  reaction. 
Professor  Bentley  referred  to  Larch  bark  and  Areca  nuts,  which  are  to  be 
included  in  the  forthcoming  additions  to  the  Pharmacopoeia.  The  former  is 
used  as  a  tanning  material,  but  has  been  recommended  by  Dr.  Greenhow,  about 
ten  years  ago,  in  the  form  of  tincture,  for  checking  profuse  perspiration  and  in 
certain  bronchial  affections;  in  Ireland  the  bark,  divested  of  its  outer  layer,  is 
frequently  employed  in  similar  cases.  Areca  or  betel  nut  is  known  in  Great 
Britain  for  the  charcoal  it  yields,  and  is  used  in  the  preparation  of  Ceylon  cat- 
echu, which  was  formerly  officinal  in  the  Edinburgh  Pharmacopoeia.  Areca 
nut  has  also  been  used  as  a  vermifuge,  and  is  a  popular  remedy  in  India,  though 
it  is  but  slightingly  spoken  of  in  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  India. 
Professor  Redwood  said  that  a  tincture  made  of  one  part  of  larch  bark  to 
eight  of  rectified  spirit  had  been  somewhat  extensively  used  in  Ireland,  the 
dose  being  20  to  40  minims.  Areca  nut  is  used  in  the  form  of  powder  in  doses 
of  four  to  six  drachms,  mixed  with  milk,  and  is  regarded  by  some  eminent  mem- 
bers of  the  Medical  Council  as  the  most  valuable  remedy  known  at  the  present 
time  for  the  expulsion  of  tapeworms. 
