172 
Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting. 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pharin. 
t      March,  1884. 
Upon  chewing  these  seeds  a  strongly  bitter,  astringent  and  yet  aromatic 
taste  is  perceptible,  which  is  quite  different  from  that  of  true  kola,  and  ap- 
proaches in  its  aromatic  flavor  that  of  green  coffee ;  it  is  this  aromatic 
flavor  that  is  esteemed  by  the  negroes.  It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  although 
the  use  of  these  seeds  does  not  produce  any  notable  stimulant  effects  or 
ward  off  fatigue,  they  are  as  much  sought  after  and  fetch  nearly  as  high  a 
price  on  the  eastern  coast  as  the  true  kola.  In  the  interior,  however,  they 
are  unknown.  The  authors  are  of  opinion  that  these  seeds  owe  their  proper- 
ties to  the  resin  they  contain,  which  is  slightly  stimulant.  By  the  negroes 
they  are  thought  to  exercise  an  aphrodisiac  action,  which  the  authors 
consider  doubtful,  and  as  a  masticatory,  they  are  said  to  be  a  valuable 
remedy  for  colds. 
An  examination  of  fresh  male  kola  nuts  for  caffeine  gave  negative  results, 
the  chloroform,  ether  and  alcoholic  percolates  being  all  free  from  alkaloid. 
Besides  coloring  matter,  tannin  and  glucose,  two  resins  were  separated.  One 
of  these  was  brown,  hygrometric  and  soluble  in  ether  and  melted  at  the 
temperature  of  the  water-bath ;  the  other  was  yellowish-white,  soluble  in 
ether,  alcohol,  acetone  and  acetic  acid,  insoluble  in  carbon  bisulphide  or 
petroleum  spirit,  and  had  a  high  melting  point. 
A  large  proportion  of  the  paper  is  devoted  to  a  study  of  the  constitution 
of  caffeine  and  several  of  its  derivatives,  in  reference  to  the  identification  of 
the  alkaloidal  substances  obtained  by  the  authors  from  the  female  kola. — 
Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  Jan.  26,  1884,  p.  586. 
MINUTES  OF  THE  PHARMACEUTICAL  MEETING. 
Philadelphia,  February  19,  1884. 
In  the  absence  of  the  President  Mr.  Alonzo  Bobbins  was  called  to  the 
chair.    The  minutes  of  the  last  meeting  were  read  and  approved. 
Professor  Maisch  presented  the  report  of  the  Chief  Signal  Officer  of  the 
War  Department  for  1881 ;  the  Year  Book  of  Pharmacy  for  1883  ;  the  Calen- 
dar of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society  of  Great  Britain,  1884 ;  a  monograph, 
by  Prof.  Hamberg,  upon  the  physiological  effects  of  the  odorous  volatile 
principles  of  whiskey,  in  the  Swedish  language  ;  and  a  syllabus  of  a  course 
of  lectures  on  Pharmacy  by  Prof.  E.  L.  Patch,  of  Boston,  Mass.  These 
books  were  all  referred  to  the  Librarian  to  be  entered  on  the  catalogue  and 
arranged  in  the  library. 
Mr.  Gustavus  Pile  exhibited  some  specimens  of  finely  drawn  aluminium 
wire,  suitable  for  small  weights  each  of  the  pieces  weighed  one  centi- 
gramme. 
Dr.  Miller  presented  a  specimen  of  gum  sittings,  which  has  been  offered 
for  sale  for  tobacconist's  uses ;  it  is  much  darker  and  inferior  than  that 
usually  sold  for  such  purposes ;  the  very  greatly  increased  price  of  all  varie- 
ties of  gum,  consequent  upon  the  war  in  Egypt,  has  probably  induced 
vendors  to  offer  low  grades  in  hopes  of  realizing  on  them. 
Mr.  Pile  asked  if  oil  of  limes  was  an  article  of  merchandise  and  attain- 
