A^*ciober5i899.m-}    American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  .497 
This  white  substance  appeared  when  I  tried  to  crystallize  thenitroso  compounds 
of  araliene.  I  attributed  its  presence  to  unknown  outside  influences,  and  made 
no  effort  to  determine  its  composition.  I  am  now  inclined  to  believe  that  such 
a  polymer,  as  Dr.  Kremers  has  described,  was  formed." 
THE  DETERIORATION  OP  WILD  CHERRY  BARK  WITH  AGE. 
By  A.  B.  Stevens. 
The  author  has  estimated  the  amount  of  hydrocyanic  acid  in  barks  examined 
at  different  times,  as  March,  1898,  and  March,  1899.  He  found  a  more  marked 
deterioration  in  the  powdered  bark  than  in  the  whole  bark  when  kept  in  the 
usual  containers.  He  recommended  that  the  whole  fresh  bark  only  be  used  in  the 
manufacture  of  galenical  preparations,  and  says  that  the  bark  is  best  preserved 
in  glass  or  air-tight  containers. 
STRUCTURE  AND  DEVELOPMENT  OF  SEEDS. 
BY  A.  VON  ZWALUWENBURG  AND  J.  O.  SCHLOTTERBECK. 
The  authors  have  examined  the  structure  and  development  of  seeds  of  cacao 
and  cotton.  The  object  of  this  work  was  to  trace  the  development  of  the 
tissues  in  ripe  seeds,  and  is  necessary  for  accurate  pharmacopceial  descriptions. 
SUGGESTIONS  ON  THE  EXAMINATION  OF  DRUGS. 
By  Albert  Schneider. 
The  author  gave  a  brief  general  discussion  of  the  evolution  and  develop- 
ment of  the  five  sense  organs  and  their  use  and  relationship  in  the  examination 
and  identification  of  substances.  The  following  was  given  as  the  logical  and 
natural  sequence  in  which  the  senses  should  be  employed  in  the  examination  of 
drugs — sight,  touch,  smell  and  taste.  Hearing  is  of  no  practical  value  in  the  ex- 
amination of  drugs.  Attention  was  called  to  the  lack  of  reliable  standards  of 
color  and  odor.  The  author  also  called  attention  to  sensations  which  are  erron- 
eously named  odor  and  taste  sensations.  Practical  suggestions  were  given  as  to 
the  best  way  of  bringing  out  the  odor  and  taste  of  drugs. 
THE  IDENTIFICATION  OF  POWDERED  DRUGS. 
By  Albert  Schneider. 
The  author  maintained  that  the  most  reliable  and  permanent  characteristics 
•of  drugs  are  the  histological,  as  they  remain  constant,  while  color,  odor  and 
taste  are  subject  to  change.  Color,  odor  and  taste  should,  however,  be  made 
use  of  in  so  far  as  it  is  possible.  A  key  to  about  175  official  and  unofficial 
powdered  vegetable  drugs  was  given,  based  wholly  upon  microscopical  structure 
as  revealed  through  a  good  compound  microscope.  * 
COLOR  STANDARDS  OF  POWDERED  VEGETABLE  DRUGS. 
By  Henry  Kraemer. 
The  author  has  evolved  a  set  of  color  standards  representing  about  eighteen 
colors,  to  which  the  descriptions  of  all  of  the  powdered  drugs  of  the  U.S. P.  could 
be  referred.  The  author  stated  that  the  value  of  this  work  was  only  in  that  it 
gave  an  opportunity  for  bringing  the  color  descriptions  of  drugs  in  the  Phar- 
macopoeia and  of  writers  to  a  uniform  basis,  and  that  the  color  standards 
could  not  be  utilized  in  determining  the  value  of  drugs. 
