540  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.        { Am"octui884harm" 
alkaloid  has  likewise  been  used  in  medicine.  Prof.  Lloyd  stated  that  hy- 
drastine had  been  an  article  of  commerce  only  for  about  five  years,  and  it 
became  necessary  to  designate  it  as  "  the  white  alkaloid."  It  is  used  in 
diseases  of  the  mucous  membrane  and  of  the  eyes,  while  berberine  is  a  tonic 
and  antiperiodic.  Prof.  Lloyd  also  said  that  he  had  not  succeeded  in  obtain- 
ing ciwstallizable  hydrastine  salts.  The  dark  green  color  which  Mr.  Hall- 
berg  said  berberine  shows  with  iron  salts,  according  to  Prof.  Power,  does  not 
appear  with  pure  berberine.  Regarding  pharmaceutical  preparations,  Prof. 
Power  stated  that  with  the  aid  of  nitric  acid,  hydrastine  could  be  combined 
with  bismuth  in  solution.  Mr.  Kennedy  said  that  1  or  2  grains  of  the  alka- 
loid hydrastine,  with  the  aid  of  4  grains  of  ammonio-citrate  of  bismuth, 
would  dissolve  in  an  ounce  of  glycerin  and  1  or  two  ounces  of  water;  and 
Dr.  Menninger  and  Prof.  Good  stated  that  the  application  of  hydrastis  to 
mucous  membranes  was  increasing,  the  fluid  extract  being  prescribed  prop- 
erly diluted. 
Mr.  J.  W.  Colcord  read  a  paper  on  Canutillo,  which  is  recommended  by 
Dr.  S.  Gleeson,  of  San  Antonio,  Texas,  as  a  valuable  remedy  in  syphilitic 
complaints.  The  fluid  extract  is  dark  red  brown,  and  has  a  sweetish  aro- 
matic and  astringent  taste.  The  leafless  branches,  unaccompanied  by 
flowers,  were  examined  at  Harvard  University,  Cambridge,  and  pronounced 
to  be  derived  from  an  Ephedra,  probably  E.  trifurcata,  which  is  now  com- 
mon on  the  Southern  borders;  all  our  species  of  Ephedra  are  popular  local 
remedies  in  syphilitic  complaints.  Dr.  Menninger  suggested  that  the 
effects  were  probably  due  to  tannin.  The  paper  elicited  some  discussion  on 
the  introduction  of  new  remedies  in  general,  many  of  which  owe  their 
virtues  wholly  or  partly  to  tannin,  and  it  was  urged  that  such  investiga- 
tions should  be  made  as  early  as  possible  ;  the  search  for  remedies  used  by 
the  Indians  was  mentioned,  and  the  value  of  many  plants  was  pointed  out 
as  remedies  suitable  for  certain  localities,  and  often  preferable  to  such  ob- 
tained from  a  distance. 
A  paper  by  Mr.  S-  G.  Ade  treated  of  the  f  ungoid  growth  in  dituted phos- 
phoric acid,  which  is  sometimes  observed,  and  is  by  the  author  believed  to 
cause  the  deterioration  of  the  solvent  power  of  the  acid.  A  microscopical 
drawing  of  this  fungoid,  or  more  properly  algaceous  growth,  was  furnished. 
The  author  not  being  present,  inquiries  on  several  points  suggested  by  his 
paper  could  not  be  answered.  Prof.  Remington  had  frequently  noticed 
these  confervas,  not  only  in  dilute  phosphoric  acid  but  also  in  dilute  acetic 
and  other  acids,  and  even  in  distilled  water ;  they  do  not  appear  in  the 
strong  phosphoric  acid  at  present  officinal,  which,  therefore,  serves  well  for 
making  the  dilute  acid  in  small  quantities;  the  same  or  a  similar  growth 
appears  to  be  more  injurious  to  alkaloidal  solutions.  Mr.  L.  E.  Sayre  men- 
tioned a  similar  formation  in  a  solution  of  eserine,  in  regard  to  which  he 
had  been  informed  by  Dr.  Formad  that  the  alga  did  not  feed  upon  this 
alkaloid  so  much  as  it  did  upon  other  substances  present.  Prof.  Oldberg  had 
seen  the  plant  grow  in  diluted  acid  prepared  from  the  concentrated  phos- 
phoric acid,  while  in  officinal  diluted  phosphoric  acid  it  did  not  make  its 
appearance.  Prof.  Maisch  suggested  that  the  presence  of  alkalies  favors  the 
growth,  and  that  a  deterioration  of  the  acid  could  take  place  only  through 
