304  Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  { AmjJ^er;1marm- 
especially  in  the  middle  fractures  of  the  oil,  and  some  of  these  possess  a  pecu- 
liar balsamic  odor  with  a  suggestion  of  rose. 
Citral.— J.  W.  Semmler  {Bet.  d.  Deutsch.  Chem.  Ges.,  1890,  3556,  and  189U 
203)  found  that  the  aldehyde  C10H16O  obtained  by  the  oxidation  of  geraniol 
with  chromic  acid  mixture  is  identical  with  citral.  By  further  oxidation  with 
argentic  oxide  he  obtained  geranic  acid  C10H16O2,  a  limpid  oil.  On  treating 
citral  with  potassium  acid  sulphate  cymol  was  formed.  Up  to  the  present  time 
citral  has  been  found  in  the  following  oils  :  Lemon,  limetta  (Citrus  Limetta), 
Mandarine  (Citrus  Madurensis,  Linn.),  Lemongrass  (Andropogon  citratus), 
Eucalyptus  (Eucalyptus  Staigeriana),  Backhausia  (Backhausia  citriodora) 
Citronella  fruit  oil  (Tetranthera  citrata,  N.),  Japan  pepper  oil  (Xanthoxylum 
piperitum). 
MINUTES  OF  THE  PHARMACEUTICAL  MEETING. 
May  19,  1891. 
The  eighth  and  last  of  the  present  series  of  meetings  was  held  to-day  ;  Mr. 
Wm.  B.  Webb  occupied  the  chair,  and  in  the  absence  of  Mr.  T.  S.  Wiegand 
(through  sickness)  F.  X.  Moerk  acted  as  secretary. 
The  minutes  of  the  last  meeting  were  read  and  approved.  G.  M.  Beringer, 
Ph.G.,  communicated  several  formulas  :  "  On  Essence  of  Pepsin  "  (intended  to 
replace  the  numerous  glycerin  solutions  now  flooding  the  market);  "On 
Elixir  of  Pepsin  and  Bismuth."  Inquiry  elicited  the  statement  that  neither  of 
these  preparations  had  a  digestive  action  corresponding  to  the  amount  of 
pepsin  used  in  their  manufacture.  Mr.  Webb  stated  that  years  ago  he  had 
made  a  w7ine  rennet  which  was  largely  prescribed  under  the  name  of  vinum 
coagidum.  A  third  formula  was  for  a  "  Solution  of  Malate  of  Iron  ;"  Mr.  Webb 
said  he  had  been  informed  that  a  large  manufacturer  used  for  some  years  past 
cranberry  juice  in  making  this  preparation.  Prof.  Maisch  suggested  that 
experiments  be  made  with  our  mountain  ash  berries  as  the  fruit  of  the  Euro 
pean  Sorbus  Aucuparia  contains  malic  acid  with  very  little  of  other  organic 
acids  ;  another  source  for  malic  acid  was  sumach  berries.  A  question  as  to  the 
superiority  of  this  salt  over  other  organic  salts  of  iron  was  answered  that  it  had 
been  a  favorite  as  a  mild  ferruginous  preparation,  but  was  not  much  used  at 
present  because  of  its  indefinite  composition.  The  evolution  of  Bitter  Wine 
of  Iron  was  mentioned,  it  having  been  made  first  from  metallic  iron  by  dissolv- 
ing it  in  hard  cider  ;  then  iron,  orange  juice  and  wine  were  used  and  this 
superseded  by  the  bitter  wine  of  iron. 
F.  W.  Haussmann,  Ph.G.,  read  some  notes  supplementary  to  his  paper  of 
last  month  on  the  Solution  of  Succinate  of  Iron.  Prof.  Maisch  stated  that  a 
formula  for  this  preparation  had  been  published  ten  years  ago  and  that  he  con- 
templated republishing  Prof.  Wenzell's  paper  in  the  American  Journal  of 
Pharmacy.  A  paper  on  an  Improved  Syrup  of  Hypophosphites  with  Iron,  by 
Mr.  Haussmann,  confirms  the  properties  of  ferric  hypophosphite  as  published 
in  the  Am.  Journ.  Pharm.,  1889,  392.  Mr.  Mclntyre  obtained  best  results  by 
adding  to  solution  of  calcium  hypophosphite  acidified  with  hypophosphorous 
acid,  the  solution  of  ferrous  sulphate  ;  in  this  way  the  syrup  containing  ferrous 
hypophosphite  could  be  kept  for  several  weeks  without  precipitation  ;  the  com- 
position of  the  precipitate  has  not  been  ascertained. 
