406  Pharmaceutical  Associations.  {Amiu^;Sh&Tm' 
Frank  X.  Moerk  contributed  two  volunteer  papers,  one  on  the  detection  of 
acetanilid  in  some  closely  related  compounds,  and  the  other  on  color  tests  of 
some  synthetic  remedies.  These  papers  are  published  in  full  in  this  journal, 
pages  389  and  394. 
Notes  on  assaying  gum  opium,  and  the  advantage  of  prepariiig  the  tincture 
of  opium  from  the  granulated  drug  was  the  title  of  a  paper  by  Lyman  F. 
Kebler,  who  strongly  advocated  the  preparation  of  the  tincture  by  packing  30 
per  cent,  of  the  drug  in  a  percolator  in  the  usual  manner,  adding  menstruum  to 
cover  the  drug,  and  enough  more  that  the  remaining  material  will  also  be  cov- 
ered, dropping  the  remaining  opium  into  the  percolator,  immediately  beginning 
percolation  and  continuing  until  10  per  cent,  of  percolate  have  been  obtained. 
The  opium  is  always  to  be  covered  with  the  menstruum.  After  percolating 
about  10  percent,  of  the  finished  product,  the  lower  orifice  is  to  be  closed  and 
the  drug  allowed  to  macerate  about  three  hours.  Percolation  is  then  continued 
until  another  10  per  cent,  of  the  finished  product  have  been  secured,  and  so  on, 
percolating  and  macerating  until  exhaustion  is  complete.  The  author  laid  con- 
siderable stress  on  the  importance  of  careful  sampling. 
J.  A.  Miller  answered  the  query  concerning  the  high  license  law,  by  stating 
that  it  is  his  belief  that  the  law  is  an  acceptable  one  to  most  druggists,  and 
that  it  is  generally  observed.  Only  two  prosecutions  had  come  under  his  ob- 
servation, in  one  of  which  an  old  offender  was  required  to  pay  a  fine  of  $2,500, 
and  suffer  imprisonment  for  eight  months.    The  other  case  is  still  pending. 
A  paper  from  Louis  Emanuel  was  read  on  the  comparative  value  of  some  ex- 
tracts of  malt  and  their  differe?ice  from  beer.  This  paper  is  published  in  full, 
page  387. 
Preliminary  education  of  apprentices  and  the  desirability  of  an  interchange  of 
certificates  between  boards  of  pharmacy,  were  subjects  ably  considered  by  F.  W. 
E.Stedem  in  two  papers. 
John  H.  Hahn  contributed  the  results  of  a  chemical  investigation  of  sumbul, 
which  is  published  in  this  journal  in  full,  page  395. 
Finally,  Emils  Ott  offered  some  information  concerning  an  insect  which 
sometimes  infects  vanilla  beans.  T.  F.  Main  stated  that  to  his  knowledge  such 
beans  were  never  offered  by  importers  as  first-class  stock,  and  were  always  to  be 
had  at  a  lower  price  than  good  beans. 
After  the  reading  of  papers,  the  Association  considered  some  amendments  to 
the  pharmacy  law,  which  were  referred  to  the  Committee  on  Legislation. 
The  Association  also  put  itself  on  record  as  favorable  to  the  adoption  of  the 
metric  system  in  the  United  States,  and  also  as  favoring  tax-free  alcohol  for 
manufacturing  and  medicinal  pnrposes.  Concerning  the  latter  subject,  it  was 
realized  that  such  a  proceeding  amounted  to  little  more  than  a  formality,  since 
the  section  of  the  law  by  which  tax-free  alcohol  was  to  have  been  obtained  has 
been  repealed. 
The  following  officers  were  elected  :  President,  Joseph  P.  Remington  ;  Vice- 
Presidents,  A.  R.  Durham  and  C.  D.  Kiefer  ;  Secretary,  J.  A.  Miller  ;  Treasurer, 
J.  L.  Lemberger  ;  Assistant  Secretary,  D.  J.  Thomas  ;  Executive  Committee, 
J.  H.  Knouse,  C.  L.  Hay  and  G  W.  Roland.  The  Kittatinny  House,  Delaware 
Water  Gap,  was  selected  as  the  place  for  the  meeting  in  June,  1897. 
The  entertainments  connected  with  this  meeting  were  for  the  most  part 
interesting  and  instructive  in  character.    The  visit  to  Carlisle  on  the  afternoon 
