588  Pharmaceutical  Colleges,  etc.  {AMbec 
am.  Jour.  Phaek  , 
1874. 
M.  Bourgoin  presented  a  note  on  two  isomeric  bodies,  perbromide  of  acety- 
len  and  hydride  of  tetrabroraated  acetylen,  the  former  of  which  is  liquid,  the 
latter  solid. 
Dr.  C.  Roucher,  military  pharmacist,  read  a  note  upon  a  new  reaction  of 
commercial  oil  of  crisped  mint  {Jour,  de  Pharm.  et  de  Ihim.,  November,  354). 
When  about  20  per  cent.,  by  weight,  of  acetic  acid,  of  10°  B.  (sp.  gr.  1*074), 
are  added  to  one  per  cent,  oil  of  mint,  and  the  mixture  is  agitated,  after  a  half 
to  one  hour  a  slight  blue  coloration  is  obtained,  which  gradually  increases  in 
intensity.  With  the  darkening  of  the  color,  a  very  marked  dichroism  becomes 
perceptible,  the  color  being  blue  in  transmitted  light  and  a  fine  vermillion  red  in 
reflected  light,  similar  to  that  shown  by  some  anilin  compounds  dissolved  in 
alcohol.  In  the  light,  the  color  gradually  changes  to  green  and  yellow.  The 
liquid  is. instantly  decolorized  by  potassa,  but  water  produces  a  very  light  blue 
precipitate,  which  upon  the  filter  becomes  rapidly  red,  and  finally  decolorized. 
Neither  menthol,  oil  of  turpentine,  camphor  or  oil  of  lemon  produce  a  similar 
result. 
M.  Mehu  read  a  note  by  M.  Patrouillard  on  a  false  white  ginger  (see  page 
562).  •  It  may  be  remarked  here,  that  this  whitewashed  ginger  is  extensively 
used  in  the  United  States. 
M.  Mehu  made  some  remarks  on  the  International  Pharmaceutical  Congress^ 
and  presented  a  specimen  of  Artemisia  cina,  the  plant  yielding  the  so-called 
Levant  wormseed  (Santonica,  U.  S.  P.). 
The  German  Apothecaries'  Association  held  its  Third  Annual  Meeting  at 
Munich,  September  10th  and  11th.  President,  Dr.  Schacht ;  Secretaries, 
Messrs.  H.  Mueller  and  Mack.  The  president  read  his  annual  report,  showing 
the  membership  to  be  2,715,  and  giving  an  account  of  the  activity  of  the  direc- 
tory during  the  past  year.  The  discussions  were  mainly  confined  to  internal 
affairs  of  the  society,  to  the  condition,  particularly  the  supervision  of  phar- 
macy in  Germany,  educational  requirements,  &c. 
Prof.  Buchner  delivered  a  lecture  on  volatile  oils,  showing  that  the  volatile 
oil  of  Spiraea  ulmaria  must  be  produced  in  the  flower-buds  by  the  oxydation  of 
a  salicyl  compound,  and  that  volatile  oils  may  be  generated  by  chemical  de- 
composition. 
Prof.  Reichardt  spoke  on  the  fermentation  of  milk,  and  on  gum  agar-agar  \ 
also  on  the  scientific  representation  of  pharmacy  at  the  German  universities. 
Dr.  Wolfrum,  on  the  examination  and  preservation  of  medicinal  substances, 
and  Dr.  Wilms,  on  the  commercial  so-called  pomegranate  root-bark,  and  the 
recognition  of  the  trunk  and  branch-bark  by  means  of  the  adhering  apotbecia 
of  lichens,  of  which  the  author  had  recognized  twelve  species. 
The  Fourth  Annual  Meeting  will  be  held  at  Hamburg. 
,  The  General  Austrian  Apothecaries'  Association  held  its  Thirteenth 
Annual  Meeting  at  Vienna,  September  20th  to  22d,  director  Schiffner  presid- 
ing, who  read  a  very  elaborate  report  on  the  activity  of  the  society  during  the 
past  year<    Dr.  von  Waldheim  gave  a  detailed  account  of  the  transactions  of 
