496  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference.  {Aloctobef,Pi903:m^ 
on  the  fact  that  when  a  mixture  of  alcohol,  benzene  and  water  is 
fractionally  distilled,  the  last  portion  of  the  distillate  consists  of  that 
component  which  was  present  in  excess,  irrespective  of  the  boiling 
point  of  the  several  liquids.  There  is  practically  no  loss  of  either 
benzene  or  alcohol,  as  the  constituents  of  the  several  fractions  are 
readily  separated  by  suitable  means,  and  no  secondary  products  are 
formed. 
Pharmaceutical  Institute  of  the  University  of  Berlin,  by  Prof.  FL 
Thorns,  Ph.D. — This  paper,  liberally  illustrated  by  means  of  lantern 
slides,  was  presented  by  Mr.  Peter  McEwan,  and  was  acknowledged 
to  be  an  object  lesson  of  the  thoroughness  with  which  educational 
matters  are  undertaken  in  Germany. 
Determination  of  Uric  Acid  in  Urine. — A.  F.  Dimmock,  M.D., 
M.R.C.S.,  L.S.A.,  and  F.  W.  Branson,  F.I.C.,  F.C.S.,  suggest  that  the 
urine  be  warmed  to  about  400  C,  then  saturated  with  ammonium 
chloride,  and  the  precipitate  of  ammonium  urate  allowed  to  subside; 
this,  after  separation,  is  washed  with  a  very  dilute  solution  of 
ammonia.  The  precipitate  is  subsequently  treated  with  sodium 
hypobromite  solution  in  a  specially  arranged  nitrometer. 
Comparative  Anatomy  of  the  Barks  of  the  Salicacece.  Part  I.  By 
Pierre  E.  F.  Perredes,  B.Sc,  F.L.S.,  Ph.C. — After  making  some  intro- 
ductory remarks  on  the  general  anatomical  features  of  the  barks  of 
the  natural  order  Salicaceae,  the  author  gave  a  detailed  description 
of  the  bark  of  eleven  species  of  populus.  This  description  was  accom- 
panied by  a  great  number  of  characteristic  illustrations.  A  detailed 
description  of  the  willow  barks  is  to  be  published  later  as  Part  II. 
Willows  Used  in  Pharmacy. — E.  M.  Holmes,  F.L.S.,  gave  an  inter- 
esting account  of  the  different  species  of  the  genus  salix,  known 
respectively  as  willows,  osiers  and  sallows.  The  author  also 
recounted  some  of  the  uses  to  which  they  were  put,  and  enumerated 
the  kinds  of  bark  that  are  known  to  yield  salicin. 
In  referring  to  the  yield  of  salicin,  Mr.  Holmes  said  that  this  prin- 
ciple being  soluble  in  water,  the  bark  naturally  loses  its  strength  if 
allowed  to  get  wet ;  then,  too,  it  has  been  observed  that  the  bark 
loses  salicin  by  keeping.  This  possible  deterioration  has  led  to  a 
combination  of  manufacturers  setting  up  chemical  works  close  to 
the  area  of  production  of  the  more  desirable  willow  bark  in  Bel- 
gium. 
Thermal  Waters  of  Bath.—W.  J.  Hallett,  M.P.S.,  gave  an  outline 
