316  Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting  \Kmz*°™;$£xiaL- 
A  very  simple  and  effective  device  for  fastening  the  corks  of  bottles  contain- 
ing effervescent  drink  and  liquids  consists  of  a  small  tin  disc  slightly  concave, 
pierced  with  two  holes  through  which  flexible-tinned  wires  are  passed.  The 
convex  side  is  placed  against  the  neck  of  the  bottle  and  the  wires  passed  to 
the  other  side  of  the  neck,  where  they  are  twisted ;  after  the  cork  is  driven 
into  its  place,  the  wire  is  passed  over  the  cork  and  a  turn  around  the  disc  is 
taken  and  the  ends  twisted  together  forming  a  firm  "tie  "  over  the  cork.  Their 
moderate  price,  and  the  fact  that  they  are  generally  left  attached  in  good  con- 
dition to  the  bottle  returned  for  repetition,  makes  them  a  very  desirable  method 
of  securing  corks. 
W.  L.  Cliffe,  Ph.G.,  exhibited  samples  of  rubber-coated  corks,  having  the 
advantage  of  the  rubber  cork,  but  being  very  much  cheaper  ;  they  have  been 
used  for  iodine,  acids  and  alkaline  liquids  quite  successfully. 
Prof.  Maisch  exhibited  a  plant,  Scopola  carniolica,  a  native  of  Austria,  which 
he  had  raised  from  a  living  rhizome,  received  from  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.  through 
Mr.  Naglevoort,  of  Detroit.  The  rhizome  had  survived  the  last  severe  winter 
in  the  open  air,  and  produced  its  first  flowers  in  the  first  half  of  April  ;  he  also 
called  attention  to  its  botanical  characters  and  its  chemical  constituents  as 
determined  during  recent  years. 
A  flowering  branch  of  Magnolia  grandiflora,  sent  him  from  Florida,  was 
exhibited  by  Prof.  Maisch,  who  explained  why  this  handsome  tree,  according 
to  strict  rules,  recently  adopted  by  botanists,  is  now  sometimes  called  Mag, 
fcetida,  a  name  it  by  no  means  deserves,  as  there  is  nothing  like  fetor  in  its 
odor. 
Professor  Maisch  made  inquiry  whether  any  one  present  had  recently  exam- 
ined jalap  root  for  the  yield  of  resin  ;  the  pharmacopoeia  of  1880  required  it  to 
contain  12  per  cent.,  but  it  had  often  contained  much  less  resin.  Recently, 
however,  a  much  better  quality  of  jalap  had  been  met  with,  and  specimens 
received  from  New  York  and  Detroit  had  assayed  from  16  to  over  20  per  cent, 
of  resin.  It  seemed  strange  that  no  attempt  had  yet  been  made  to  cultivate 
the  plant  in  this  country,  while  it  was  a  matter  of  record  that  the  roots  would 
survive  our  winters  and  those  of  central  Europe.  He  hoped  to  get  roots  from 
Mexico  for  the  purpose  of  experimentation. 
Prof.  Maisch  called  attention  to  two  samples  of  water,  received  from  the 
Buffalo  Pure  Water  Co.;  from  the  label  it  was  learned  that  the  water  recom- 
mended for  drinking  purposes  was  a  water  twice  distilled  with  much  care,  and 
subsequently  aerated  ;  this  was  stated  to  be  used  to  prepare  the  lithia  water 
that  constituted  the  other  sample  and  appears  to  be  a  solution  of  lithium  car- 
bonate in  such  water.  The  same  water  is  also  used  in  the  preparation  of  other 
artificial  mineral  waters,  for  which  pure  water  alone  should  be  employed. 
A  prescription  calling  for  emulsion  of  terralin  was  read,  and  it  was  stated 
that  terralin  is  a  proprietary  article  of  the  nature  of  soft  paraffin,  and  put  upon 
the  market  from  Washington,  D.  C.  One  part  of  acacia  to  2  parts  of  this  sub- 
stance having  yielded  a  pasty  emulsion,  it  was  suggested  that  a  small  quantity 
of  tincture  of  soap  bark  would  be  useful  in  emulsifying,  or  probably  a  little 
gelatin  would  aid  in  keeping  the  substance  in  suspension. 
Thyroid,  made  by  Parke,  Davis  &  Co.,  was  exhibited  ;  it  is  claimed  to  be  of 
equal  efficacy  with  the  fresh  thyroid  gland  of  the  sheep,  and  is  recommended 
in  myxcedema. 
