50  Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  { Am  jiTfi£i.arm" 
Botan  Root  (Paeonia  Moutan),  a  Japanese  drug,  yielded  no  essential  oil,  but 
yielded  peonol,  a  substance  first  found  by  Will,  of  a  pleasant  aromatic  odor, 
crystallizing  in  large  needles. 
Citral. — This  name  has  been  proposed  for  terpene-free  lemon  oil  con- 
taining only  the  valuable  aromatic  portion  of  the  oil.  It  has  been  prepared 
to  meet  the  demand  for  a  more  soluble  oil.  In  a  partial  vacuum  under  a 
pressure  of  16  mm.  citral  boils  at  n6°  C,  and  under  normal  atmospheric 
pressure  at  2280-22a°,  without  decomposition,  if  pure.  Its  sp.  gr.  is  0^899  ;  it  is 
probably  an  aldehyde,  as  it  forms  stable  compounds  with  alkaline  acid  sulphites. 
Its  formula  is  probably  C10H16O.  Lemon  oil  contains  only  an  average  of  7^ 
per  cent,  of  citral. 
MINUTES  OF  THE  PHARMACEUTICAL  MEETING. 
On  motion  of  the  Registrar,  Mr.  Wm.  B.  Webb  was  called  to  the  Chair,  and 
the  reading  of  the  minutes  of  the  last  meeting  was  dispensed  with. 
Prof.  Maisch  presented  to  the  library  from  Mr.  Lancaster  Thomas  a  copy  of 
Lemery's  Course  of  Chemistry  translated  and  edited  by  James  Keill,  third 
English  edition,  published  in  1698  ;  and  also  a  copy  of  the  Prussian  Pharma- 
copoeia of  1840. 
Professor  Maisch  stated  that  he  had  received  from  Professor  Alfonso  Herrera 
a  copy  of  the  Appendix  to  the  Mexican  Pharmacopoeia  which  has  just  been 
issued,  and  that  a  copy  of  it  would  also  be  sent  to  the  library  of  the  College,  by 
the  Mexican  Academy  of  Pharmacy  ;  also  that  an  advance  copy  of  the  Additions 
to  the  British  Pharmacopoeia,  had  been  forwarded  to  him  by  Professor  Attfield. 
Among  the  remedies  made  officinal  in  the  latter  work,  for  the  first  time,  was 
glonoin,  a  solution  being  directed  under  the  title  of  liquor  trinitrincg,  of 
the  strength  of  one  part  of  nitroglycerin  in  one  hundred  parts  of  alcohol  ;  Euca- 
lypti Gummi,  described  as  being  almost  entirely  soluble  in  rectified  spirit,  cold 
water  dissolving  from  80  to  90  per  cent,  of  the  gum  ;  Euonymi  cortex  (and 
dry  extract),  Hamamelidis  cortex  (tincture  1  :  10),  Hamamelidis  folia  (and 
fluid  extract),  Hydrastis  rhizoma  (tincture  1  :  10,  and  fluid  extract),  Strophan- 
tus (tincture  1  :  20),  Adeps  lanae  and  Adeps  lanae  hydrosus  (lanolin),  Oleum 
cadinum,  Picrotoxinum  ;  and  of  the  recently  discovered  chemicals  Acetani- 
lidum  (antifebrinl,  Glusidum  (saccharin),  Homatropinae  hydrobromas,  Paralde- 
hydum,  Phenacetinum,  Phenazonum  (antipyrine),  and  Sulphonal.  Among 
the  pharmaceutical  preparations  adopted  are  Syrup  of  ferrous  chloride ; 
glycerin  suppositories  with  70  per  cent,  of  glycerin,  and  prepared  with  gelatin  ; 
Menthol  plaster  with  20  per  cent,  of  menthol. 
A  new  German  Pharmacopoeia  has  made  its  appearance,  and  this  is  for  the 
first  time  printed  in  the  German  language,  it  has  heretofore  been  issued  in 
Latin  ;  percolation  has  been  introduced  for  the  preparation  of  fluid  extracts, 
which  are  now  officinal. 
Mr.  Beringer  suggested  that  the  pharmaceutical  meetings  might  probably 
be  rendered  more  attractive  and  the  attendance  greatly  increased  ;  he  thought 
that  a  committee  appointed  for  the  purpose  could  bring  forward  subjects  of 
general  interest,  and  induce  members  to  furnish  papers  or  information  upon 
these  subjects. 
Professor  Maisch  favored  the  plan,  and  moved  that  the  Chairman  appoint  a 
committee  of  five  for  the  purpose  indicated. 
