Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  1 
February,  1899.  / 
Pharmaceutical  Meeting. 
103 
manufacture  should  induce  every  pharmacist  to  prepare  his  own  syrup."  In 
regard  to  the  preparation  of  the  syrup  he  said  that  he  had  no  substitute  to 
offer  in  preference  to  the  official  method,  several  improvements  were,  how- 
ever, suggested  and  were  embodied  in  an  improved  formula  and  directions 
relating  thereto.  He  also  proposed  Volhard's  method  of  titration  for  estimat- 
ing the  hydriodic  acid  present. 
In  discussing  this  paper,  Prof.  J.  C.  Peacock  inquired  whether  the  author 
had  used  any  means  of  proving  the  absence  of  potassium  iodide  so  as  to  enable 
him  to  say  that  all  the  silver  nitrate  had  reacted  with  the  hydriodic  acid. 
Mr.  Haussmann  replied  that  the  amount  of  potassium  iodide  used  was  in- 
sufficient to  produce  a  1  per  cent,  preparation. 
Mr.  Kebler  referred  to  a  statement  contained  in  the  paper  in  regard  to  the 
action  of  glycerin  on  the  hydriodic  acid,  when  added  to  the  syrup,  with  subse- 
quent formation  of  allyl  iodide,  and  said  that  there  was  evidence  that  analo- 
gous results  occur  with  othei  alcohols. 
Mr.  Haussmann  said  that  he  was  in  doubt  about  the  odorous  principle  being 
allyl  iodide,  but  that  on  distilling  syrup  containing  glycerin  with  potassium 
sulpho-cyanate  he  was  convinced  that  the  odor  of  the  distillate  was  due  to 
artificial  oil  of  mustard  (allyl-iso-sulpho-cyanate),  although  the  quantities 
formed  were  extremely  small. 
In  reply  to  a  question  by  Professor  Peacock  as  to  whether  the  coloration  of 
the  syrup  might  be  due  to  lead  iodide,  Mr.  Haussmann  said  he  did  not  think 
that  such  was  the  case,  as  other  syrups  show  a  coloration,  an  example  of  this 
being  Baton's  syrup,  which  contains  neither  lead  nor  iodide. 
Professor  Peacock  then  asked  if  the  author  thought  the  color  due  to  the  cara- 
melization  of  the  sugar  caused  by  action  of  the  acid  upon  it.  Mr.  Haussmann 
held  that  opinion. 
A  paper  on  "  Lithium  Citrate  "  was  presented  by  Lyman  F.  Kebler,  and  will 
be  published  in  a  subsequent  issue  of  this  Journal.  The  paper  embodied  a 
consideration  of  the  properties  of  this  chemical,  together  with  tests  for  im- 
purities and  a  new  method  for  estimating  the  percentage  of  pure  salt.  Sam- 
ples obtained  in  various  parts  of  the  United  States  were  examined,  and  not 
one  found  to  be  perfectly  anhydrous.  On  account  of  the  variability  of  the  salt 
in  this  respect,  even  when  marked  U.S. P.,  the  author  favored  the  use  of  the 
hydrous  salt,  which  is  a  uniform  product. 
The  paper  aroused  considerable  discussion,  and  those  participating  in  it  were 
Professors  Peacock,  Moerk  and  Remington,  and  Mr.  Haussmann. 
With  regard  to  the  presence  of  lead,  Mr.  Kebler  said  that  he  had  found  it 
in  potassium  citrate,  but  not  in  the  samples  of  lithium  citrate  which  he  had 
examined  ;  he  accounted  for  this  by  the  fact  that  a  test  for  the  presence  of  lead 
in  the  lithium  salt  is  recognized  by  the  Pharmacopoeia,  whereas  no  such  pro- 
vision is  made  in  case  of  the  potassium  salt. 
An  abstract  of  a  paper  on  a  "Proximate  Analysis  of  the  Leaves  of  Liatris 
Odoratissima  "  was  read  by  Charles  Falkenhainer,  Jr.,  a  student  of  the  College. 
The  paper  will  appear  in  full  in  a  later  issue  of  this  Journal. 
After  considering  some  of  the  uses  made  of  this  plant,  the  author  referred 
to  the  results  of  his  analysis.  Besides  coumarin,  the  leaves  were  found  to 
contain  fatty,  waxy  and  resinous  substances,  chlorophyll,  sugars,  mucilagi- 
nous and  albuminous  matters  and  inorganic  constituents.    An  interesting 
