AmMavyi8P86arm  }  Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  265 
like  that  by  Mr.  Voelcker,  shows  the  presence  in  the  root  of  various  derivatives 
of  chrysophanic  acid  or  allied  'compounds,  like  emodin  and  erythroretin,  the 
quantitative  results  being:  Emodin,  trace;  yellow  resin,  "93;  red  substance  solu- 
ble in  alcohol,  10*48;  sugar  and  red  substance,  soluble  in  water,  10*44;  rheo- 
tannicacid,  23*45;  gum,  pectin  and  brown  color,  6*41;  albuminoids,  5*21 ;  aporetin, 
4*78;  starch,  18*00;  cellulose,  4*52;  ash,  4*38,  and  moisture,  11*17;  total,  99*77. 
Mr.  Procter  asked  if  all  tannin  producing  substances  were  equally  valuable  for 
tanning  in  proportion  to  the  tannin  they  contained.  Prof.  Sadtler  said  that  he 
thought  that  they  were  not,  and  that  hemlock  and  the  oak  barks  were  almost 
the  only  useful  ones,  and  sumach  was  somewhat  used;  chromate  of  sodium 
had  been  found  good  only  for  wash  leather  and  thin  skins,  and  it  was  not  val- 
uable for  general  tanning  purposes.  Prof.  Maisch  stated  that,  in  tropical 
countries,  many  substances,  almost  unknown  in  other  localities,  wTere  used  for 
tanning,  such  as  the  bark  of  many  trees,  certain  leguminous  fruits,  different 
parts  of  the  clove  tree,  and  other  myrtles. 
Prof.  Maisch  exhibited  specimens  of  two  species  of  potato,  one  being 
Solanum  tuberosum  var.  boreale,  which  is  indigenous  to  Arizona  (see  Am.  Joue. 
Phae.,  1884,  p.  344),  and  the  other  Solanum  Maglia,  which  is  indigenous  to 
South  America,  from  Chili  southward,  the  specimens  having  been  sent  by 
Mes-rs.  Sutton  &  Sons,  of  Reading,  England.  The  first  species  mentioned  had 
been  cultivated  by  Prof.  Maisch  for  two  years  without  blooming,  and  producing 
very  few  tubers,  but  numerous  and  very  long,  thin  rhizomes;  he  attributed 
this  to  the  fact  that  the  plants  had  been  kept  well  watered,  while  they  should 
have  been  grown  in  rather  dry  soil;  the  second  species,  however,  is  staged  to 
grow  in  low  and  even  swampy  ground. 
Prof.  Trimble  exhibited  some  oil  of  maize,  obtained  from  the  corn  grain  by 
pressure  with  the  presses  usually  employed  for  making  linseed  oil.  Its  sp.  gr 
is  *922.   It  has  a  bright  yellow  color  and  a  slight  peculiar  odor. 
Mr.  Walling  asked  the  question  whether  bathing  whiskey  was  legitimate  if 
made  by  using  diluted  alcohol,  colored  with  caramel,  and  odorized  with  a  small 
quantity  of  fusel  oil.  The  reply  was  made  that  such  an  article  was  sold  by  some 
of  the  members,  and  had  given  satisfactory  results  to  the  physicians  who  pre- 
scribed it ;  but  others  present  sold  for  this  purpose  commercial  raw  whiskey, 
which  appeared  to  be  better  for  bathing  purposes  than  diluted  alcohol. 
This  question  opened  the  other  one  of  the  character  of  whiskey  suitable  for 
medicinal  use  internally,  and  the  statement  made  was  that  Gibson's  whiskey 
had  proven  the  best,  but  probably  was  not  superior  to  other  pure  whiskies  at 
least  two  years  old,  and  purchased  from  the  manufacturers  in  original  packages 
of  a  barrel ;  it  of  course  becomes  a  year  or  two  older  before  it  is  all  sold  off. 
Thos.  S.  Wiegand,  Registrar. 
Phytolacca  Decandra  in  Orchitis.—  According  to  the  Lancet,  the 
fluid  extract  of  Phytolacca  decandra  is  used  internally  for  orchitis,  in  doses  of  from 
4  to  6  minims,  every  three  or  four  hours  A  salve  made  of  the  extract  mixed 
with  ex'ract  of  belladonna  is  also  rubbed  into  the  skin  over  the  affected  part. 
The  root  is  said  to  have  antisyphilitic  and  antiscorbutic  properties. — N.  Y.  Med. 
Jour.,  Jan.  23, 1886. 
