Am'oct.y'iSarm'}    British  Pharmaceutical  Conference.  523 
cent,  of  proof  spirit.  The  test  proposed  by  Riche  and  Bardet,  depending  upon 
the  formation  of  methyl  violet,  gave  results  that  were  delicate  and  satisfying, 
the  presence  of  0*5  per  cent,  of  wood  spirit  being  satisfactorily  proved,  but  the 
time  and  attention  required  are  considered  to  render  it  far  from  being  suited  for 
the  ordinary  pharmacist.  Miller's  test,  depending  upon  the  oxidation  of 
methyl  alcohol  to  formic  acid,  was  satisfactory  only  in  mixtures  containing  not 
less  than  2  per  cent,  of  wood  spirit.  On  the  whole  Cazeneuve's  test  was  found 
to  be  the  most  delicate  and  convenient  for  the  pharmacist,  but  not  quite 
satisfactory. 
This  was  the  last  paper  read  on  Tuesday,  and  most  of  the  members  then 
made  their  way  to  the  Yorkshire  College,  where  they  were  received  by  Professor 
Bodington  and  other  officials,  who  had  made  excellent  arrangements  to  facili- 
tate the  inspection  of  the  establishment. 
On  Wednesday  morning  the  Conference  reassembled  at  ten  o'clock. 
Oroxylum  Indicum  Bark,  by  Messrs.  Holmes,  Naylor  and  Chaplin. — The  bark 
is  considered  in  India  to  be  an  astringent  and  tonic,  and  to  be  useful  in  diarrhoea 
and  dysentery.  It  has  in  addition  been  employed  by  Dr.  Bvers  in  cases  of 
acute  rheumatism,  and  is  credited  by  him  with  being,  when  combined  with 
opium,  a  much  more  powerful  sudorific  than  compound  powder  of  ipecacuanha. 
The  plant  from  which  the  bark  is  derived  belongs  to  the  Bignoniaceae,  an 
order  of  which  the  chemical  and  physiological  properties  are  little  known. 
The  drug  had  been  received,  with  others  that  need  investigation,  from  Dr. 
Dymock,  of  Bombay,  and  had  been  placed  in  the  hands  of  Messrs.  Naylor  and 
Chaplin  for  chemical  investigation  by  Mr.  Holmes,  who  in  the  first  of  the  two 
papers  contributed  a  description  and  some  particulars  as  to  the  history  of  the 
bark.  From  this  bark  Messrs.  Naylor  and  Chaplin  reported  that  they  have 
separated  what  appears  to  be  a  characteristic  principle  that  they  have  named 
"oroxylin."  It  forms  lemon-yellow  crystals,  melting  at  228,5°-229°  C,  readily 
soluble  in  alcohol,  ether,  glacial  acetic  acid  and  hot  benzol,  but  practically 
insoluble  in  either  hot  or  cold  water.  A  minute  quantity  brought  into  contact 
with  a  drop  of  weak  solution  of  sodium,  potassium  or  ammonium  hydrate 
gives  immediately  a  cherry-red  color,  that  passes  quickly  into  brick-red  and 
olive  green.  In  alcoholic  solution  it  reduces  silver-  nitrate  immediately,  does 
not  reduce  Fehling's  solution,  and  gives  a  white  precipitate  with  mercuric 
chloride,  and  a  golden-yellow  one  with  subacetate  of  lead.  In  addition,  there 
have  been  separated  an  acrid  principle,  an  astringent  substance  not  precipitable 
by  solution  of  gelatin,  a  compound  reducing  Fehling's  solution,  fat,  wax, 
pectin  and  chlorophyll. 
Green  iodide  of  mercury  was  one  of  the  substances  omitted  from  the  last 
edition  of  the  British  Pharmacopoeia,  presumably  on  account  of  its  instability. 
As  there  is  still  a  considerable  demand  for  such  a  compound  for  medicinal  use, 
Messrs.  Martindale  and  Salter  have  applied  themselves  to  remedying,  as  far  as 
possible,  the  defects  that  led  to  its  exclusion  from  the  official  work.  This  they 
propose  to  do  by  using  in  its  preparation  one-fourth  more  of  mercury  than  the 
quantity  required  theoretically,  and  modifying  the  directions  of  the  B.  P., 
1867.  A  drachm  of  rectified  spirit  is  poured  upon  an  ounce  and  a  quarter  of 
mercury  in  a  porcelain  mortar,  and  iodine  is  added  gradually  up  to  278  grains, 
triturating  constantly  and  adding  more  spirit  occasionally  to  prevent  over-heat- 
