344         Pharmaceutical  Colleges  and  Associations.  |Am'junY'i88h4aim' 
chemistry  by  N.  Brant,  on  pharmaceutical  legislation  by  H.  P.  Reynolds, 
and  on  syrup  of  tolu  by  G.  W.  Parisen.  The  latter  paper  suggested  a  pro- 
cess similar  to  that  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  1870,  using  hot,  in  the  place  of 
cold,  water.  Prof.  Maisch  referred  to  the  various  processes  in  use  for  mak- 
ing this  syrup,  and  stated  that  if  it  was  merely  intended  as  a  flavoring 
material,  digestion  of  tolu  in  water,  as  directed  by  the  French  Codex,  would 
yield  a  perfectly  transparent  syrup  ;  the  use  of  magnesium  carbonate  was 
objectionable  on  account  of  its  slight  solubility ;  if,  however,  it  was  intended 
to  have  the  resinous  matter  also  present,  a  process  similar  to  that  for  the 
present  syrup  of  ginger,  using  an  alcoholic  solution  of  tolu,  would  seem  to 
be  preferable  to  that  adopted  by  the  Pharmacopoeia. 
Interesting  experiments  on  pepsin  were  reported  by  Mr.  Am  Ende,  who 
found  that  some  pepsins  would  but  little  affect  meat  fibres,  while  others 
acted  more  energetically,  causing  the  strise  to  disappear  almost  completely. 
Prof.  Maisch  asked  whether  experiments  had  also  been  made  with  the 
mucous  membrane  of  the  stomach,  and  referred  to  experiments  made  by 
Sellden  in  187-5,  but  which  appear  to  be  little  known  here ;  from  these 
experiments  it  appeared  that  maceration  with  acidulated  water  extracted 
only  a  portion  of  pepsin,  but  that  by  digestion  with  water  an  additional 
and  stronger  pepsin  could  be  obtained.  Pepsin  seemed  to  exist  partly  in 
an  insoluble  or  latent  condition,  which  view  had  more  recently  been  cor- 
roborated by  several  French  investigators. 
In  response  to  a  call,  Prof.  Maisch  stated  that  he  had  intended  to  bring 
to  this  meeting,  as  a  subject  of  general  interest,  some  tubers  of  the  parent 
plant  of  the  cultivated  potato ,  which  he  had  recently  received  from  Mr.  H. 
Bowman,  from  California;  but  that  they  had  sprouted  to  such  an  extent,, 
that  in  order  to  save  them,  they  had  to  be  planted.  This  plant  had  been 
discovered  by  Prof.  Lemmon  in  Arizona,  in  the  Huachuca  Mountains,  at 
an  elevation  of  9,000  feet,  and  had  been  named  by  Prof.  Asa  Gray  Solan  urn 
tuberosum  var.  boreale.  The  tubers  are  quite  small,  about  half  an  inch  or 
little  more  in  length,  and  are  of  two  varieties,  red  and  white. 
The  officers  elected  are  :  President,  A.  P.  Brown ;  Vice  Presidents,  F.  P. 
Kilmar  and  R.  E.  Parsons;  Secretary,  R.  H.  Vansant,  Ocean  Grove;  Cor- 
responding Secretary,  R.  J.  Shaw ;  Treasurer,  Wm.  Rust,  New  Brunswick. 
The  next  meeting  will  take  place  in  the  city  of  Camden,  on  May  20th,  1885. 
On  the  evening  of  May  21st,  the  Local  Secretary,  Mr.  Wm.  C.  Bakes,  ten- 
dered a  reception  to  the  members  and  guests,  at  his  residence,  at  Ocean 
Grove,  which  was  also  attended  by  many  residents  of  the  two  adjoining 
towns.  On  the  morning  of  May  22cl  a  visit  was  paid  to  the  studio  of  Mr. 
Theodore  R.  Davis,  which  is  located  on  the  beach,  and  contains  many 
curious  and  interesting  works.  After  adjournment  the  park  and  conserva- 
tories of  Mr.  Hoey,  at  West  End,  near  Long  Branch,  were  visited. 
The  Alumni  Association  of  the  Pittsburg  College  of  Pharmacy 
was  organized  April  29th,  and  the  following  officers  were  elected  :  Presi- 
dent, C.  H.  Beach ;  Vice  Presidents,  J.  Wurzell  and  S.  McElroy ;  Treasurer, 
A.  C.  Robertson ;  Secretary,  W.  S.  Jones ;  and  Corresponding  Secretary, 
D.  F.  Robinson. 
