50  Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  {Am-/a°nuy\Sarm- 
duty  to  satisfy  himself  as  far  as  it  were  possible,  under  the  circumstances,  and 
conditions  imposed,  that  all  statements  were  correct  in  fact  and  in  truth,  that 
he  performed  thU  duty  conscientiously,  and  to  the  best  of  his  ability. 
Professor  Sadtler  expressed  a  disposition  to  do  all  that  was  compatible  wirh 
duty  and  propriety  in  regard  to  this  question.  The  present  plan  he  would  not 
condemn,  nor  would  be  wholly  approve  until  it  had  been  demonstrated  by 
experience  and  observation  that  it  was  either  defective  or  efficient  as  a  means 
to  the  ultimate  end  sought.  He  further  thought  that  the  time  had  hardly 
arrived  as  yet,  either  to  modify  the  present  plan  or  determine  upon  another. 
No  other  subject  being  presented  for  consideration,  the  meeting,  on  motion, 
adjourned.  William  B.  Thompson,  Secretary. 
MINUTES  OF  THE  PHARMACEUTICAL  MEETING. 
Philadelphia,  December  15, 1885. 
The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  the  actuary,  who  nominated  Mr.  Robert 
England  as  chairman. 
The  minutes  of  the  last  meeting  were  read,  and,  there  being  no  objections, 
they  stand  approved. 
The  "  History  of  Twenty  Years  in  Congress,"  by  Hon.  James  G.  Blaine,  was 
presented  to  the  library  by  the  publishing  committee,  and  was  ordered  to  be 
placed  in  the  library. 
Mr.  Holberg,  a  member  of  the  present  senior  class,  read  a  paper  on  sodium 
chlorate  ;  the  paper  was  accepted  and  referred  to  the  committee  on  publication. 
Mr.  Lowe  asked  if  any  of  the  students  could  state  whether  they  had  found 
the  cabinets  of  botanical  drugs  were  of  value  to  them  in  prosecuting  their 
studies ;  he  said  that  such  an  examination  as  he  had  been  able  to  make  im- 
pressed him  favorably. 
Prof.  Maisch  exhibited  a  growing  specimen  of  Urginea  Scilla,  the  true  squill, 
received  from  Mr.  George  I.  McKelway  for  the  cabinet  of  the  college.  Prof. 
Maisch  stated  that  very  often  bulbs  are  offered  by  dealers  as  squills  which  do  not 
belong  to  the  genus  Scilla,  but  to  the  nearly  allied  genus  Ornithogalum.  These 
green  bulbs  appear  to  be  mainly  mucilaginous,  and  not  acrid,  like  true  squill. 
A  vote  of  thanks  was  tendered  to  Mr.  McKelway  for  the  handsome  specimen. 
Mr.  H.  S.  Barr,  an  old  member  of  the  drug  trade,  exhibited  a  bell-metal  mortar, 
bearing  date  of  1635,  and  which  showed  evidence  of  having  given  frequent  prac- 
tice to  what  was  formerly  an  elementary  part  of  a  druggist's  education. 
Prof.  Remington  exhibited  a  specimen  of  uretliane,  a  new  hypnotic,  claimed 
to  be  devoid  of  the  usual  unpleasant  after-effects  that  attend  the  use  of  most 
remedies  of  its  class.  It  has  been  largely  experimented  with  in  the  hospitals  of 
Europe.  Its  usual  dose  is  half  a  gram  to  one  gram  or  more.  The  compound 
crystallizes  in  large  tables,  melts  near  the  boiling-point  of  water,  is  sublimable, 
dissolves  readily  in  water,  alcohol  and  ether,  and  being  almost  tasteless,  may  be 
given  in  the  form  of  solution  or  powder. 
Another  new  remedy,  pyridine,  was  also  exhibited,  and  it  is  stated  that  the 
peculiar  soothing  influence  induced  by  the  smoking  of  tobacco  is  due  to  this 
principle.  In  response  to  a  question  as  to  the  cost  of  these  substances,  Prof. 
Remington  stated  that  urethane  was  worth  about  two  dollars  the  ounce,  but 
that  should  the  demand  warrant  its  large  manufacture,  it  would  doubtless  be 
furnished  at  a  very  much  lower  price. 
