Am,/a°nuyimarm'}    Minutes  of  the  Pharaceutical  Meeting.  51 
as  a  partial  Substitute  for  Quinine  in  Malarial  Fevers."  Pereirine  appears  to 
augment  the  proper  action  of  quinine  without  exerting  any  serious  depressing 
effect  on  the  heart.  Instead,  therefore,  of  prescribing  quinine  alone  in  15  gr. 
doses,  he  orders  7\  gr.  of  quinine  combined  with  an  equal  quantity  of  pereirine, 
a  combination  which  appears  to  exert  the  same  effect  over  the  malarial  fever 
as  15  gr.  of  quinine,  but  to  be  much  less  depressing  to  the  heart. —  The  Lancet, 
November  2. 
Antiseptie  Solution  for  Sponges  is  recommended  by  Prof.  Berrens  to  be  made 
hy  dissolving  thymol  1,  in  alcohol  4,  and  adding  distilled  water  1,000  parts. — 
Gaz.  Gynoc. 
Oit  of  Turpentine  in  Whooping-cough. — Dr.  Vascencellos  des  Post  employs 
turpentine  in  whooping-cough  by  dropping  it  upon  the  child's  pillow,  thus 
causing  constant  inhalation  of  the  vapor ;  or  it  is  gi/en  in  capsules,  or  in  the 
form  of  a  mixture  combined  with  belladonna,  or  as  an  enema. — U  Union  Med., 
October  12, 1889. 
MINUTES  OF  THE  PHARMACEUTICAL  MEETING. 
Philadelphia,  December  17, 1889. 
The  meeting  was  organized  by  calling  Mr.  Wm.  B.  Webb  to  the  chair. 
The  minutes  of  the  last  meeting  were  read  and  no  corrections  being  called 
for  they  were  approved. 
A  paper  upon  the  purification  of  benzin  for  pharmaceutical  and  chem- 
ical purposes  was  read  by  Mr,  Geo.  M.  Beringer,  Ph.  G. ;  it  was  accom- 
panied by  specimens  of  the  crude  and  purified  articles;  the  freedom 
from  all  unpleasant  odor  when  permitted  to  evaporate  was  noticed  by 
those  who  examined  the  samples.  Professor  Trimble  inquired  what  propor- 
tion of  benzin  was  recovered  in  the  distillation.  Mr.  Beringer  said  he  could 
not  state  the  percentage  recovered,  but  that  the  process  could  be  economi- 
cally done  even  at  a  large  loss  of  benzin  when  compared  with  the  cost  of 
the  article  sold  as  petroleum  ether. 
Mr.  Joseph  W.  England  called  attention  to  the  article  known  commercially 
as  synthetic  carbolic  acid,  the  melting  point  of  which  is  given  at  41°  C.  or 
several  degrees  higher  than  that  of  the  crystallized  carbolic  acid  of  the 
market.    Its  odor  is  also  different,  being  less  penetrating  and  more  pleasant. 
Mr.  England  read  a  paper  upon  pharmaceutical  incompatibility,  discussing 
practical  questions  which  are  of  frequent  occurrence. 
A  sample  of  saffron  was  exhibited  by  Professor  Trimble  which  had  been 
presented  to  him  by  Mr.  J.  L.  Lemberger,  of  Lebanon,  Pa.  It  was  similar 
to  that  described  by  Mr.  Beringer  last  month.  A  sample  of  it  was  examined 
microscopically  by  Mr.  Bullock  who  reports  on  it  as  follows  : 
"  Water  dissolves  the  coloring  matter  and  a  heavy  white  powder  is  deposited  ; 
the  color  given  to  the  water  is  not  that  of  saffron,  but  resembles  the  aniline 
color  saffranine.  After  removal  of  most  of  the  color  by  water  the  addition 
of  a  dilute  solution  of  chlorinated  soda  bleached  the  fibres  entirely.  When 
dissected  by  needle  points  it  was  resolved  into  filaments  the  entire  length  of 
the  pieces;  these  when  placed  upon  a  microscope  slip  and  moistened  with  a 
