AMMa?ui!'i874!RM'}  Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  245 
On  April  21st,  1874,  a  regular  monthly  meeting  was  held  at  the  College,  fif- 
teen members  present.  The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Mr.  Charles  Bul- 
lock, Yice-President.  The  registrar  being  absent,  the  meeting  appointed  J. 
K.  Hecker,  Secretary  pro  tern. 
Under  the  head  of  donations  to  the  libary,  Prof.  Maisch  presented  a  copy  of 
the  Year  Book  of  Pharmacy  and  Transactions  of  the  British  Pharmaceutical 
Conference,  for  1873;  also  the  Proceedings  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical 
Association,  for  187  3,  and  a  bound  volume  of  the  Public  Ledger  Almanac, 
1870-73,  which  were  accepted  and  the  thanks  of  the  College  tendered. 
Prof.  Maisch  exhibited  a  handsome  specimen  of  the  flowers  of  Pyrethrum 
roseum,  obtained  from  Messrs.  Bullock  &  Crenshaw.  The  plant  grows  in  Asia 
Minor,  the  Caucasus  Mountains,  etc.,  and  when  powdered  constitutes  the  so- 
called  Persian  insect  powder, 
Dr.  Pile  read  a  paper  on  the  proper  specific  gravity  of  sulphuric  acid  of  the 
U.  S.  P.*  Tn  the  discussion  which  followed,  attention  was  drawn  to  some  in- 
consistencies of  the  pharmacopoeia  in  directing  the  use  of  absolutely  pure 
chemicals,  and  in  some  processes  taking  notice  of  the  usual  impurities;  sul- 
phuric acid  and  oil  of  wine  were  mentioned  among  other  instances. 
Prof.  Maisch  inquired  whether  aay  member  present  had  had  any  experience 
in  mixing  camphor  and  chloral,  and  to  what  extent  the  mixture  is  prescribed. 
Messrs.  Heinitsh  and  Boring  replied  that  they  had  occasionally  to  prepare  the 
mixture,  which,  after  some  trituration,  forms  a  liquid,  or  more  slowly  by  leaving 
the  two  articles  in  contact  with  each  other.f  In  regard  to  the  cause  of  lique- 
faction a  short  discussion  ensued,  but  no  definite  or  satisfactory  explanation  was- 
given. 
A  communication  from  a  member  of  the  college  was  read  by  Prof.  Maisch,  sug- 
gesting that  a  prescription  bottle  be  devised  with  a  lip  of  such  shape  that  liquids 
might  be  dropped  from  it  with  greater  facility  than  can  be  done  from  those  at  pre- 
sent in  use.  It  was  then  stated  that  Messrs.  Whitall,  Tatum  &  Co.  undertook  to* 
make  bottles  with  thin  lips,  from  which  liquids  could  be  dropped  readily  enough, 
but  if  the  lips  have  too  thin  an  edge  they  are  very  liable  to  splinter  or 
crack  off,  making  such  bottles  impracticable. 
Mr.  Boring  exhibited  a  syrup  of  orange  peel  made  by  the  process  of  the  Ger- 
man Pharmacopoeia,  by  treating  the  fresh  orange-peel  with  German  white  wine. 
The  syrup  was  perfectly  clear,  had  a  fine  odor  of  wine,  and  when  dilute  a  very 
agreeable  flavor  of  orange. 
Mr.  Bullock  inquired  whether  any  of  the  members  had  noticed  a  precipitate 
in  the  tincture  of  chloride  of  iron,  U.  S.  P.  He  said  that  he  had  noticed  it 
himself,  examined  into  the  cause  of  precipitation,  and  considers  it  to  be  due- 
to  a  deficiency  of  acid.;}:    Prof.  Maisch  then  stated  that  the  Pharmacopoeia  di- 
*  See  paza  216. 
t  See  also  the  paper  on  page  239. 
X  See  also  page  248. 
