Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1903. 
}  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  297 
The  next  paper  was  a  communication  from  Earl  H.  Cone,  P.D., 
of  Cincinnati,  O.,  entitled  "  Salicylic  Acid  and  Sodium  Salicylate," 
and  was  read  on  behalf  of  the  author  by  Prof.  F.  P.  Stroup.  The 
author  presented  clinical  evidence  to  show  the  superiority  of  natural 
salicylic  acid  over  the  synthetic  product.  The  paper  was  accom- 
panied with  a  number  of  specimens  and  will  be  published  in  a  later 
issue  of  this  Journal.  Mr.  Boring  referred  to  the  fact  that  the  sub- 
ject had  been  discussed  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  American  Phar- 
maceutical Association  [Proc,  1902  (Vol.  50),  pp.  378-393],  and 
the  consensus  of  opinion  seemed  to  show  that  the  three  products, 
viz.,  methyl  salicylas,  oleum  gaultheriae  and  oleum  betulse  volatile, 
were  distinct,  and  the  one  should  not  be  substituted  for  the  other. 
In  answer  to  a  question  of  Dr.  Weidemann,  Mr.  Wilbert  said  that 
at  the  German  Hospital  they  employed  annually  about  150  pounds 
of  synthetic  salicylic  acid,  which  is  given  in  doses  ranging  from  -200 
to  1  -00  gramme,  and  that  he  had  not  known  of  any  untoward 
effects  from  its  use.  Professor  Lowe  said  that  in  his  experience  in 
the  use  of  salicylates  gastric  disturbances  were  the  most  frequent. 
Professor  La  Wall  remarked  that  if  the  natural  salicylic  acid  was 
harmless,  what  could  be  the  objection  to  its  use  as  a  food  preserva- 
tive. In  reply  to  a  question  by  Professor  Kraemer,  Professor 
Moerk  said  that  several  possible  impurities  might  be  present  in  the 
synthetic  product  and  that  these  might  arise  from  impurities  in  the 
phenol  employed  or  from  subsequent  products  produced  in  the  course 
of  oxidation  of  the  phenol.  Professor  La  Wall  also  remarked  that 
the  odor  of  phenol  in  salicylic  acid  might  be  due  to  the  decomposi- 
tion of  the  latter.  Professor  Moerk  said  that  about  four  years  ago 
he  tested  a  number  of  specimens  of  salicylic  acid  from  various 
sources  and  that  none  of  them  answered  to  »the  sulphuric  acid  test 
of  the  U.S.P. 
M.  I.  Wilbert,  Ph.M.,  presented  "  A  Quarterly  Review  of  Some  of 
the  More  Interesting  Advances  in  Pharmacy  and  Materia  Medica." 
(See  page  285.)  The  paper  was  discussed  by  Messrs.  England, 
Boring,  Weidemann,  Moerk  and  Kraemer.  Mr.  England  said  that 
abroad  it  was  one  of  the  "bilberries"  which  was  employed,  and  that 
this  did  not  correspond  to  our  "  huckleberry,"  some  kinds  of  which 
were  yielded  by  Gaylussacias  and  not  Vacciniums.  Professor  Kraemer 
alluded  to  the  fact  that  the  foreign  literature  seemed  to  point  to 
Vaccinium  Myrtillus  L.  as  being  the  species  used.    Professor  Moerk 
