Am"  octuyiSoarm' }   A  merican  Pharmaceutical  A ssociation.  535 
Pharmacists  as  food  inspectors  was  the  title  of  a  paper  read  by  L.  M.  Connor, 
of  Dallas,  Tex.,  in  which  pharmacists  were  recommended  to  apply  themselves 
to  the  chemical  and  microscopical  examination  of  articles  of  food  and  drink. 
This  led  to  a  discussion  on  defining  adulterations,  on  adulteration  laws,  and 
on  the  results  attained  through  the  enforcement  of  such  laws,  for  which  latter 
purpose  the  salutary  effect  of  the  Massachusetts  law  was  specially  cited. 
The  utilization  of  the  Soda  products  of  Kentucky  was  discussed  in  a  paper 
by  J.  P.  Barnum,  of  Louisville.  The  process  described  is  a  modification  of  that 
of  Solvay. 
The  Florida  Phosphate  fields  were  discovered  in  1889,  near  Dunellen,  Marion 
C6unty,  and  extend  through  several  adjacent  counties  of  Central  Florida, 
coprolites  being  found  in  Peace  River  and  other  streams.  The  paper  by  Dr. 
H.  Robinson,  of  Jacksonville,  gives  the  history  of  the  discovery,  and  of  the 
development  of  the  new  industry  ;  it  also  furnishes  the  results  of  an  analysis 
of  r,  laminated  Dunellen  phosphate,  and  2,  of  Peace  River  caprolite,  viz  : 
1.  2. 
Lime,  T  .  .  53*31  per  cent.  58*40  per  cent. 
Phosphoric  acid,   33'4°  "  27*70  " 
Sand  and  insoluble  matter,   6*32  "  9*60  " 
Ferric  oxide,   3*05  "  185  " 
Alumina,  .                                            .  2*40  "  1*40  " 
Carbonic  acid  and  loss,                              7  ...  .  072  "  1*05  " 
The  paper  on  ethereal  oil  of  Polygala  species,  by  Henry  C.  C.  Maisch,  is 
printed  in  full  in  the  present  number. 
The  Section  elected  Prof.  K.  L.  Patch,  of  Boston,  Chairman,  and  Prof.  C.  S. 
Hallberg,  of  Chicago,  Secretary,  for  the  ensuing  year. 
The  Sections  on  Pharmaceutical  Legislation  and  on  Education  having  been 
consolidated,  they  met  on  the  evening  of  Thursday,  Professor  Bedford  presid- 
ing, and  Professor  Stevens,  Secretary.  The  Chairman  read  an  address  pre- 
senting various  subjects  of  interest  to  the  Section,  after  which  papers  on 
Methods  of  Instruction  were  read  by  Professors  Rusby,  of  New  York  and 
Simon,  of  Baltimore.  Considerable  discussion  was  had  on  this  topic  in  which, 
among  other  matters,  the  value  of  good  school  education  was  prominently 
brought  forward  ;  also  the  variable  educational  status  of  apprentices  in  phar- 
macy, the  value  of  practical  experience  in  the  store  before  attending  lectures, 
apprenticeship  in  stores  where  but  few  preparations  are  manufactured  or  where 
merely  scanty  facilities  for  practical  work  are  obtainable,  etc.  A  paper  by 
Professor  Whelpley,  giving  a  "  Synopsis  of  a  Course  in  Microscopy  for  Phar- 
macists," was  then  read  and  commented  upon. 
On  the  subject  of  Legislation  Mr.  H.  M.  Whitney,  of  Massachusetts,  read  a 
paper,  giving  from  his  experience  a  method  for  the  examination  of  candidates 
by  Board  of  Pharmacy,  the  object  being  the  determination  of  the  candidate's 
general  knowledge  of  the  various  drugs,  of  compounding  and  dispensing,  of 
chemical  and  mechanical  incompatibles,  of  solubility,  explosives,  corrosives, 
specific  gravity,  ability  to  interpret  hieroglyphics  and  abbreviations,  etc.  In 
process  of  time,  there  may  probably  be  elaborated  a  fairly  uniform  method  of 
examination,  and  then  an  interchange  of  certificates  brought  about ;  but,  the 
author  thinks,  active  and  aggressive  efforts  to  do  it  now  would  hazard,  if  not 
absolutely  remove,  from  some  sections,  all  there  is  to-day. 
