426  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.    {  s^ptimbe^im' 
Resolved,  That  the  interests  of  medicine  and  pharmacy  would  be 
advanced  by  the  appointment,  under  the  direction  of  the  Associa- 
tion of  Official  Agricultural  Chemists,  of  a  referee  on  medicinal 
plants  and  chemicals. 
At  the  third  session  ot  the  section  the  following  officers  were 
elected:  William  A.  Puckner,  chairman;  E.  H.  Gane,  secretary. 
The  following  papers  were  presented  and  are  here  given  in 
abstract : 
Pilocarpus  Leaves  of  Commerce. 
By  Henry  H.  Rusby. 
The  author  called  attention  to  the  large  proportion  of  spurious  drug 
upon  the  market  and  said  that  a  large  number  of  drugs  in  tropical 
America  are  called  "  Jaborandi "  which  are  not  products  of  Pilocarpus. 
He  recommended  the  use  of  the  term  "  Pilocarpus  "  in  place  of  Jabor- 
andi as  this  would  tend  toward  excluding  the  spurious  drug.  He 
also  described  the  principal  commercial  varieties,  viz.,  Pilocarpus 
Jaborandi  and  P.  microphyllus. 
East  Tennessee  Pink  Root. 
By  Rodney  H.  True. 
In  considering  the  question  of  the  cultivation  of  medicinal  plants 
by  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  Spigelia  marilandica  was 
selected  as  one  of  the  plants  which  it  would  be  desirable  to  cultivate. 
The  specimens  received  by  the  Department  proved  to  be  Ruellia  ciliosa 
(Fam.  Acanthaceae)  and  it  is  supposed  that  the  use  of  this  material 
has  led  to  the  elimination  of  true  "  pink  root  "  from  the  market. 
Tests  for  Phenacetin  and  Acetanilid. 
By  George  M.  Beringer. 
The  author  reviewed  the  published  statements  in  regard  to  the 
physical  properties,  reactions  and  tests  for  phenacetin  and  acetanilid. 
He  has  not  found  the  indophenol  reaction  or  Schwartz's  test  (the  so- 
called  isonitrile  reaction)  satisfactory,  nor  are  some  of  the  color 
reactions  reliable.  The  author  has  devised  the  following  test  which 
he  recommends  as  distinguishing  phenacetin  from  acetanilid  :  -500 
gramme  of  either  acetanilid  or  phenacetin  with  20  c.c.  solu- 
tion of  sodium  hydroxide  (1  to  2  of  water)  are  boiled  in  a  flask,  con- 
nected with  a  reflux  condenser,  for  half  an  hour.    After  cooling  this 
