Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  I 
Feb.,  1884.  J 
Editorials. 
125 
It  was  moved  that  the  thanks  of  the  meeting  be  returned  to  the  authors 
of  the  various  papers,  and  that  the  Secretary  record  such  a  resolution. 
On  motion,  adjourned. 
Thos.  S.  Wiegand,  Registrar. 
PHARMACEUTICAL  COLLEGES  AND  ASSOCIATIONS. 
California  Pharmaceutical  Society. — The  regular  quarterly  meet- 
ing was  held  at  the  College  Hall,  Dec.  13th,  President  King  in  the  chair. 
The  meeting  was  well  attended.    Five  new  members  were  elected. 
Papers  were  read  by  Messrs.  McDonnell,  Sommer,  Barbet  and  Keil. 
Mr.  Runyon  exhibited  Dr.  Squibb's  apparatus  stand,  also  Berry's 
pressure  percolator,  and  a  Franciscus  gelatin  pill-coating  machine,  which 
had  been  presented  to  the  College.  Mr.  Lengfeld  exhibited  several  rare 
chemicals  and  drugs.  Mr.  Searby  exhibited  the  seeds  of  Rheum  Palma- 
tam,  obtained  from  St.  Petersburg,  in  Russia,  specimens  of  which  he  had 
given  to  parties  with  a  view  to  determine  the  most  favorable  locality  for 
their  cultivation.  He  also  read  to  the  members  a  letter  received  from  Mr. 
J.  W.  Colcord,  of  Lynn,  Mass.,  Secretary  National  Retail  Druggists'  Asso- 
ciation, which  contained  many  good  suggestions,  heartily  endorsed  by  the 
members. 
Mr.  Lengfeld  gave  notice  that  at  the  next  meeting  he  would  propose 
some  alteration  and  amendment  to  the  constitution  and  by-laws,  relative 
to  having  monthly  meetings  instead  of  the  quarterly. 
The  meeting  adjourned  at  10.40  P.M. 
EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 
The  Solubility  of  Essential  Oils  in  Water.— Mr.  England's  paper 
on  Medicated  Waters,  which  is  published  in  the  present  number,  raises 
again  the  question  as  to  the  best  means  for  rendering  volatile  oils  soluble 
in  water,  or  rather  for  completely  saturating  water  with  volatile  oils,  with- 
out introducing  objectionable  chemicals  into  the  solution.  It  is  well 
known  that  these  principles  are  but  sparingly  soluble,  and  that  they  differ 
in  their  solubility,  those  consisting  entirely  or  mainly  of  hydrocarbons 
being,  as  a  rule,  less  soluble  than  those  consisting  of  oxygenated  com- 
pounds. Yet  the  solubility  in  water  has  been  accurately  determined  in 
very  few,  if  any,  instances.  But  it  is  known  that  if  the  volatile  oils  be 
finely  divided  before  they  are  brought  in  contact  with  water,  they  will, 
like  sparingly  soluble  salts,  saturate  the  menstruum  in  a  shorter  time  than 
if  added  in  bulk,  the  criterion  in  this  case  being  the  odor  and  taste. 
The  division  is  sometimes  effected  by  dissolving  the  volatile  oil  in  a 
small  quantity  of  alcohol  and  adding  this  solution  gradually  and  with 
continued  shaking  to  the  requisite  quantity  of  water  ;  and  where  the  small 
amount  of  alcohol  thus  introduced  is  not  objectionable,  this  process  is  a 
useful  and  expeditious  one  ;  but  the  water  is  usually  more  or  less  opalescent 
or  milky  and  cannot  be  obtained  clear  by  nitration  through  paper,  owing 
