364       Meetings  of  State  Pharmaceutical  Associations.    \  ^^'ju^\lst^'' 
value  of  7'ed  and  white  wines  as  applied  to  the  pharmacopoeial  requirements 
by  Prof.  Bedford,  and  on  medicinal  syrups  by  C.  W.  Holmes. 
The  President  for  the  present  year  is  T.  J.  Macmahan,  of  New  York  ; 
Secretary  C.  W.  Holmes,  of  Elmira,  and  Treasurer  C.  H.  Butler,  of  Oswego. 
The  Association  adjourned  to  meet  in  Rochester  on  the  second  Tuesday  of 
June,  1886. 
Ohio. — The  seventh  annual  meeting  assembled  in  Sandusky,  May  20 
and  21.  The  business  transacted  was  mostly  of  a  routine  nature.  Twenty 
papers  were  presented,  but  only  few  of  them  could  be  read  during  the 
meeting.  A  paper  ou  commercial  belladonna  leaves  by  Prof.  Coblentz 
reported  the  assays  of  14  samples,  namely  8  of  American  pressed  leaves, 
which  yielded  between  -0020  and  -0433  per  cent,  of  pure  alkaloid  ;  4  sam- 
ples of  loose  German  leaves  yielded  between  '0109  and  '0420  per  cent.,  and 
2  samples  of  Englisli  leaves  '0411  and  -0422  per  cent,  of  pure  alkaloid.  The 
alkaloid  was  extracted  from  the  concentrated  tincture  containing  tartaric 
acid,  with  chloroform,  and  purified  by  precipitation  witli  iodine,  treatment 
with  sodium  thiosuiphate  and  solution  iu  chloroform. 
Vnguentum  Hijdrargyri  nitratis,  by  H.  C.  Cook.  Made  with  lard  oil, 
heated  with  the  nitric  acid  to  50°C.,  and  slowly  raising  the  heat  to  70°C., 
the  ointment  retained  its  bright  color  for  a  long  time ;  made  with  petrola- 
tum in  various  ways  the  ointment  acquired  a  dark  color,  and  was  less  effi- 
cient than  the  officinal  article. 
Commercial  hUick  antimony.  Examined  by  S.  W.  McKeown,  the  cheap 
grades  were  found  to  be  coal  dust  mixed  with  marble  or  other  substance, 
and  with  or  without  a  little  sulphide  of  antimony. 
Commercial  precipitated  sulphur.  Of  seven  samples  S.  W.  McKeown 
found  one  to  be  pure  ;  the  others  contained  about  half  their  weight  of  cal- 
cium sulphate. 
Commercial  iodine.  Eleven  samples  examined  by  Miss  H.  M.  Spenzer 
contained  between  96  5  and  99*1  per  cent,  of  pure  iodine. 
Tinctura  opii  deodoratci.  Two  papers  were  jDresented  by  Ph.  Acker  and 
by  Prof.  Coblentz,  both  rei)orting  that  petroleum  benzin,  while  it  removes 
from  opium  odorous  and  other  principles,  does  not  dissolve  the  narcotine. 
Prof.  Coblentz  found  10  gm.  of  opium  to  yield  to  ether  0-307  gm.,  and  to 
benzin  0-158  gm.,  the  difference  between  tlie  two  figures  being  narcotine. 
Pills  of  nitrate  of  silver.  T.  Daniels  recommends  as  the  best  excipient  a 
mixture  of  petrolatum  1  part,  with  kaolin  2  parts. 
Powdered  capHcum^  according  to  S.  W.  McKeown,  should  yield  about 
28  per  cent,  of  alcoholic  extract,  and  on  incineration  about  4-5  per  cent-  of 
white  ash.  If  adulterated  with  corn  meal,  a  smaller  amount  of  alcoholic 
extract  and  a  larger  amount  of  ash  is  obtained,  the  latter  being  red  or 
brown,  probably  due  to  ochre  used  for  coloring. 
Commercial  tartaric  acid  was  found  by  C.  M.  Beed  to  contain  a  minute 
amount,  -068  per  cent.,  of  adhering  sulphuric  acid. 
Baking  powder.  S  W.  McKeown  recommends  a  satisfactory  article,  to 
be  made  of  cream  of  tartar  7  parts,  sodium  bicarbonate  3  parts  and  starch 
3  parts. 
The  subjects  of  other  papers  were  pancreatin  as  an  emulsifying  agent, 
