Am'octu!'*i89Larm'}    British  Pharmaceutical  Conference,  511 
the  opinion  that  all  the  varieties  of  galbanum  of  commerce  under  either  name 
come  through  Persia.  As  to  the  botanical  origin,  so  far  as  evidence  is  at  pres- 
ent obtainable,  it  appears  probable  that  "  Levant "  galbanum  is  yielded  by 
Ferula  g alb ^aniflua  and  its  variety  (i-Aucheri,  and  the  solid  "Persian"  gal- 
banum possibly  by  Ferula  Schair,  Borszcz,  but  the  liquid  Persian  galbanum  by 
a  species  nearly  allied  to  F.  galbaniflua,  judging  from  the  fruits  found  in  it. 
It  would  appear  also  that  the  "  Ferula  galbaniflua  "  found  by  Dr.  Aitchinson 
in  Afghanistan  is  not  identical  with  the  Ferula  galbaniflua  of  BoissiER,  and 
that  neither  it  nor  Ferula  rubicaulis  yield  galbanum. 
A  Short  Description  of  the  Present  and  Future  Water  Supply  of  Cardiff  was 
then  read  by  Mr.  Thomas  Hughes,  the  borough  analyst.  The  present  sources 
of  water  supply  to  Cardiff  are  the  Bly  pumping  station  and  the  gathering 
grounds  of  Lis  vane  and  Llanishen.  The  water  from  the  Ely  pumping  station 
is  obtained  from  headings  or  culverts  driven  into  the  magnesian  limestone, 
and  has  a  total  hardness  of  from  28  to  30  parts.  The  water  from  the  gathering 
grounds  of  Lisvane  and  Llanishen  is  also  somewhat  hard  and  not  too  free  from 
organic  pollution,  which  is  likely  to  increase.  The  two  sources  yield  about 
twenty  gallons  per  head  of  the  population  of  the  district  served,  and  in  order 
to  augment  this  quantity  and  provide  for  increasing  numbers  the  Cardiff  Cor- 
poration has  commenced  the  necessary  works  for  obtaining  a  large  and  pure 
supply  from  the  Upper  Taff  Valley.  The  quality  of  the  water  from  this  gather- 
ing ground,  which  consists  of  mountain  pasture  land,  is  said  to  be  excellent 
being  very  soft  and  "  favorably  free  from  organic  contamination,"  while  the" 
bleak  and  uncultivated  character  of  the  district,  and  its  distance  from  any 
centres  of  population,  are  considered  sufficient  to  guarantee  safety  from  future 
pollution. 
Next,  Mr.  A.  W.  Gerrard  followed  up  his  paper  of  last  year  on  the 
Alkaloidal  Values  of  Henbane  grown  in  this  country,  by  a  report  on  the  results 
of  analyses  of  commercial  samples  from  Germany  and  France.  The  German 
sample, 'which  is  described  as  having  had  "a  rough  look,  somewhat  musty  and 
narcotic  odor  and  dull  green  color,"  was  composed  largely  of  the  entire  annual 
plant,  with  about  one-fourth  of  its  weight  of  first  year's  biennial  leaves,  in  some 
cases  with  the  roots  attached.  The  French  variety  had  a  fair  appearance,  was 
pale  green,  and  had  a  mildly  narcotic  odor,  and  consisted  entirely  of  the  first 
year's  biennial  plant,  mainly  leaves,  with  here  and  there  a  root  attached.  Both 
samples  appeared  to  have  been  collected  at  least  two  years,  and  they  were 
therefore  compared  with  English  specimens  of  corresponding  age.  The  yields 
of  alkaloid  were,  from  the  German,  0  0295  per  cent.  ;  from  the  French,  C0398 
per  cent.;  from  the  English  first  year's  biennial  leaves,  0.0390  per  cent.,  and 
from  second  year's  biennial  tops,  0.0451  per  cent.  As  the  average  yield  from 
the  fresh  English  leaves,  as  reported  last  year,  was  0*0665  Per  cent.,  it  would 
appear  evident  that  changes  detrimental  to  the  quality  of  the  drug  must  take 
place  with  the  ageing  of  a  sample. 
The  last  paper  read  on  Tuesday  was  on  the  Constituents  of  Henbane  Seed, 
by  Mr.  F.  Ransom,  in  which  the  author  contributed  more  definite  information 
as  to  the  amount  of  alkaloid  these  seeds  contain,  previous  statements  as  to 
which  vary  from  0*05  to  o-i6  per  cent.  Working  by  a  process  that  he  describes, 
on  seeds  from  biennial  plants  of  Hyoscyamus  niger  grown  at  Hitchin,  he 
obtained  a  quantity  of  crystalline  alkaloid  corresponding  to  0-058  per  cent,  in 
