584 
PJiarmaceutical  Meeting. 
< Am.  Jour.  Pharnn 
1  November,  1898. 
of  the  meeting.  These  included  a  growing  plant  of  Barbadoes  Aloes  together 
with  a  sample  of  the  drug  of  this  plant,  and  a  sample  of  the  bean  of  Bntada 
scandens,  sent  by  Prof.  J.  U.  Iyloyd  ;  samples  of  powdered  drugs  and  spices  from 
Gilpin,  Langdon  &  Co. ;  specimens  of  some  of  the  newer  botanical  drugs,  such 
as  Blood-flower,  Asclepias  curassavica,  Iyin.,  Embelia  rides,  Burm.,  Hysteri- 
onica,  Haplopappus  Baylahuen,  Remy,  Horse-nettle  berries  and  root,  Solanum 
carolinense,  Lin.,  Mountain  Sage  Sierra  Salvia,  Artemisia  frigida,  Willd., 
Muirapuama,  N ewbouldia  laevis,  Seem.,  Orthosiphon  stamineus,  Benth.  (Java 
Tea),  Saw  Palmetto,  Serenoa  serrulata,  Benth.  and  Hook,  from  Parke,  Davis 
&  Co.  Samples  of  both  ' '  wirey  ' '  and  4 '  fancy ' '  Ipecac  and  one  of  German  ergot 
from  Richard  Shoemaker  ;  a  sample  of  <l  Quebracho  gum  "  which  chemically, 
closely  resembles  kino,  and  a  specimen  of  "  Gogo,"  a  Philippine  Island  drug 
(already  referred  to  in  the  September  number  of  this  Journal,  page  480), 
from  E.  H.  Gane,  now  of  New  York  ;  a  specimen  of  the  fi  ait  of  a  species  of 
Martynia  produced  by  a  plant  grown  in  Camden,  N.  J.,  and  described  by  F.  X. 
Moerk  ;  and  a  specimen  of  the  flower  and  leaf  of  a  hardy  Datura  brought  from 
Ridley  Park,  near  this  city,  by  Miss  C.  J.  Taylor. 
On  motion,  the  meeting  adjourned. 
Thos.  S.  WiEGAnd, 
Registrar. 
Fettling* s  Solution  for  Urine  Analysis.—].  B.  Tingle  {Amer.  Chem.  Jour., 
1898,  p.  126)  recommends  the  Pary  solution  modified  by  Purdy,  in  which  the 
tartrate  is  replaced  by  glycerol.  The  composition  is  given  of  the  solution 
which  is  especially  designed  for  urine  analysis. 
Coloring  Principle  of  Uva  Ursi. — According  to  A.  G.  Perkin  {Chem.  News, 
1898,  p.  208)  there  is  present  in  the  leaves  of  Arctostaphylos  uva  ursi  a  yel- 
low coloring  principle  of  the  composition,  C15H10O7,  crystallizing  in  glisten- 
ing yellow  needles  ;  this  forms  an  acetyl  compound,  C13H507Ac5,  melting  at 
i88°-i90°.  On  fusion  with  alkali,  phloroglucinol  and  protocatechuic  acid  were 
formed.  Though  resembling  quercetin  in  these  points,  it  has  the  property  of 
forming  deep  green  solutions  with  dilute  potassium  hydrate.  Oxidation  in 
alkaline  solution  did  not  destroy  the  green  coloration  until  complete  decompo- 
sition of  the  coloring  matter  had  taken  place.  The  presence  of  ellagic  acid 
has  also  been  detected,  and  thus  besides  gallotannin,  ellagitannin  is  also 
present.    Broach  leaves  contain  the  same  coloring  matter. 
A  Fish  Poison.— The  natives  of  Surinam,  according  to  Pool  (Pharm.  Cen- 
tralh.,  1898,  p.  282),  whip  the  water  with  the  wood  of  a  tree,  Lonchocarpus 
violaceus  Bth.,  N.  O.  Leguminoseae.  The  wood  is  called  by  the  natives 
"  Nekoe,"  and  by  the  Europeans,  "  Stink  wood."  It  has  a  disagreeable  odor, 
and  is  supposed  to  contain  a  substance  possessing  a  narc9tic  action  on  fish. 
