AmjuSSrm-}  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  301 
Mr.  England  then  said  that  the  question  as  to  whether  or  not  distilled  water 
was  unfit  biologically  and  chemically  for  drinking  purposes,  would  have  to  be 
left  to  physiologists  to  decide  upon  its  merits. 
Prof.  F.  X.  Moerk,  referring  to  the  author's  remarks  concerning  the  use  of 
water  free  from  mineral  salts  for  making  pharmaceutical  preparations,  said 
that  an  important  problem  was  presented.  He  said  that  in  treating  desiccated 
drugs  with  pure  water  some  of  the  mineral  constituents  were  extracted,  and 
thus  it  became  impossible  to  limit  entirely  the  presence  of  mineral  salts  in 
many  preparations. 
Mr.  E.  M.  Boring  said  that  some  years  ago  he  adopted  the  plan  of  adding 
alum  to  the  Schuylkill  River  water  and  then  straining  it  through  absorbent 
cotton. 
Mr.  de  Kieffer  remarked  in  this  instance  that  the  mineral  matter  was  pre- 
cipitated by  the  alum,  but  that  the  bacteria  were  unaffected  ;  or  else  if  sufficient 
alum  were  added  to  destroy  bacteria  the  water  would  be  unwholesome. 
A  communication  entitled  "Further  Contributions  Concerning  Husa,"  by 
Prof.  John  Uri  Lloyd,  was  announced  on  the  programme,  but,  owing  to  the 
author's  recent  absence  from  his  home  in  Cincinnati,  the  article  was  not  received. 
Samples  of  the  morphine  and  glycerin  which  Professor  Lloyd  obtained  in  his 
analysis  were,  however,  received,  and,  in  calling  attention  to  them,  Prof.  J.  C. 
Peacock  reviewed  some  of  the  most  important  features  of  Professor  Lloyd's 
paper  on  "An  Investigation  into  Husa,"  etc.,  which  was  published  in  the  May 
issue  of  this  Journal.  Prof.  Henry  Kraemer  commended  the  work  done  by 
Professor  Lloyd,  and  said  that  his  investigation  furnished  an  ideal  exposure  of 
a  fraudulent  undertaking.  He  thought  it  would  be  well  to  bear  this  experience 
in  mind  when  considering  questions  pertaining  to  new  drugs  or  preparations. 
A  sample  of  Elixir  of  Curacoa,  made  by  Wallace  Procter,  was  exhibited. 
J.  W.  England,  remarking  upon  the  preparation,  in  the  absence  of  the  author, 
said  that  it  was  made  by  distillation,  and  was  of  excellent  quality.  The  paper 
will  be  published  in  a  subsequent  issue  of  this  Journal. 
Dr.  J.  L.  D.  Morison  called  attention  to  an  exhibition  under  the  microscope 
of  urinary  sediments,  and  made  some  remarks  on  the  newer  methods  of  stain- 
ing in  the  examination  of  sputum,  pus  and  urinary  sediments. 
Among  those  taking  part  in  the  discussion  of  this  subject  were  Messrs.  Eng- 
land, de  Kieffer,  Stedem  and  Beringer.  There  was  one  point  on  which  all  of 
the  speakers  agreed,  and  that  was  that  there  is  a  great  need  for  this  class  of 
work,  and  that  the  field  is  open  to  pharmacists.  J.  W.  England  said,  with 
reference  to  his  experience  in  this  line  of  work,  that  he  had  found  the  com- 
mercial anilin  stains  unreliable,  and  that  he  found  those  made  by  Dr.  Griibler 
to  be  more  satisfactory.  He  then  referred  to  Ehrlich's  Triple  Stain  for  blood 
and  said  that  in  a  letter  sent  by  T.  B.  Futcher,  of  Johns  Hopkins  University,  to 
an  official  of  the  Philadelphia  Hospital  the  following  information  is  given  :  "An 
important  factor  in  the  success  of  this  stain  is  the  chemical  composition  of  the 
products.  We  have  used  the  stains  of  Dr.  Griibler,  of  Leipzig,  Germany,1  which 
are  fairly  satisfactory.  Every  one  making  Ehrlich's  Stain  finds  that  only  one  out 
of  several  mixtures  proves  satisfactory,  the  others  being  inferior,  but  capable  of 
1  Charles  I,entz  &  Sons,  of  Philadelphia,  are  his  local  agents. 
