Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting. 
247 
Dr.  J.  A.  McFerran  read  a  paper  upon  the  subject  of  compressed  tablets,  and 
gave  illustrations  with  two  machines,  explaining  the  methods  necessary  to 
obtain  success,  and  showing  that  nearly  every  separate  substance  must  be 
treated  in  a  manner  suited  to  itself  to  succeed  thoroughly. 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  illustrations  Professor  Remington  moved  that  a  hearty 
vote  of  thanks  be  tendered  to  Dr.  McFerran  for  his  paper,  and  the  painstaking 
manner  in  which  he  had  illustrated  the  subject  with  the  machines.  This  was 
given  unanimously. 
Dr.  Lowe  moved  that  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed  to  take  up  the  sub- 
ject of  compressed  tablets  and  get  prescription  druggists  to  give  the  results  of 
their  experience  ;  this  was  amended  by  referring  it  to  the  Committee  on  Phar- 
maceutical Meetings. 
Mr.  Summers,  recently  returned  from  the  West  Indies,  was  present  and 
exhibited  a  number  of  specimens  of  interesting  drugs,  and  products  of  Trinidad 
and  the  adjoining  islands.  The  bark  of  the  lace  tree  can  be  separated  into  fine 
layers  which  resemble  very  greatly  a  lace  ruffle,  its  only  use  is  for  decorative 
purposes.  Guava  fruit  yields  the  much  esteemed  tropical  preserve  known  as 
guava  jelly.  Sapodilla  is  a  delicious  fruit ;  so  is  the  Mango  which  Mr.  Sum- 
mers thought  to  be  almost  a  curse  in  the  West  Indies,  as  the  laboring  classes 
there,  negroes  mostly,  would  not  work  if  they  could  live  without  doing 
so,  and  as  this  tree  ripens  its  fruit  nearly  every  month  in  the  year,  it  can 
readily  be  seen  that  work  is  not  in  great  favor.  The  leaves  of  two  plants  which 
flourish  in  the  West  Indies,  called,  respectively,  fibre  plant,  Agave  rigida,  and 
may  pole,  Sanseviera  longifolia,  yield  valuable  fibres  ;  those  of  the  former 
measuring  over  45  inches  and  those  of  the  latter  48  inches  in  length  ;  the 
fibres  of  the  former  are  much  finer  and  have  a  soft  flaxen  feel  when  handled. 
Cacao  fruit  was  exhibited  in  three  varieties,  the  finest  being  obtained  in 
Trinidad,  growing  at  elevations  varying  from  300  to  1,500  feet.  These  fruits 
called  out  quite  a  discussion,  and  a  number  of  photographs  were  exhibited  ; 
Mr.  Summers  proposed  to  give  a  fully  illustrated  talk  upon  the  results  and 
observations  made  on  his  recent  trip  at  the  opening  of  the  meetings  next  fall. 
A  vote  of  thanks  for  the  very  interesting  talk  was  voted  to  Mr.  Summers 
unanimously. 
A  formula  for  liquor  ferri  salicylatis  was  given  in  response  to  a  request.  The 
formula  given  in  Remington's  practice  of  pharmacy  is  modified  by  adding  a 
portion  of  glycerin  : 
dissolve  in  seven  fluidounces  of  distilled  water.  Sodium  salicylate  480  grains  ; 
dissolve  in  seven  fluidounces  of  distilled  water ;  mix  the  solutions  and  wash 
the  filter  with  sufficient  distilled  water  to  make  fifteen  fluidounces  ;  to  this  add 
one  fluidounce  of  glycerin. 
The  following  formula  for  a  somewhat  similar  preparation  named  mistura 
sodii  salicylatis,  originated  by  Dr.  S.  Solis  Cohen,  of  this  city,  is  used  in  the  Phila- 
delphia Hospital  :  Tincture  of  ferric  chloride,  2  fl.  oz. ;  sodium  salicylate,  2 
Ferrous  sulphate,  pure, 
Sodium  acetate,  .  .  . 
384  grains. 
320  grains. 
