362  Pharmaceutical  Colleges  and  Associations.  {Amju^'Sarm' 
pamphlets  and  trade  circulars  to  be  of  questionable  propriety,  and  prohibiting  it 
in  the  future. 
The  following  papers  were  read  : 
On  Membership,  a  paper  by  M.  N.  Kline,  showed  the  advantages  resulting 
from  organizations ;  and  another  by  L.  Emanuel,  advocated  the  consideration 
of  scientific  questions  and  of  commercial  topics,  and  urged  the  adoption  of 
formulas  for  household  medicines. 
The  Practical  Value  of  a  Knowledge  of  Botany  was  discussed  by  L.  Cisin.  In 
illustration  of  this  subject,  Prof.  Maisch  referred  to  the  fact  that  in  Lebanon 
and  some  of  the  adjacent  counties  of  Pennsylvania,  a  limited  quantity  of  abso- 
lutely pure  saffron  was  annually  produced,  while  ev^n  the  best  quality  of 
imported  saffron  contained  admixtures  of  styles,  stamens  and  corolla  shreds 
in  small  proportion,  and  much  of  the  saffron  of  commerce  was  grossly  adul- 
terated. 
Goods  on  Commission  was  the  subject  of  a  paper  by  J.  W.  Miller.  The  writer 
expressed  himself  in  opposition  to  this  practice,  and  quoted  from  Purdon's  Di- 
gest (page  652),  showing  that  such  goods  may  be  sold  for  storage  or  any  other 
charge  after  giving  notice  to  the  owners  and  advertising  the  contemplated  sale. 
Another  paper  by  Mr.  Miller,  entitled  Neglect,  discussed  the  efforts  made  for 
elevating  pharmacy,  and  the  appreciation  of  such  efforts  by  the  public. 
Apprentices,  by  D.  Phreaner.  This  paper  treated  of  the  educational  deficien- 
cies of  many  pharmaceutical  apprentices. 
Mutual  Fire  and  Life  Insurance  of  Druggists,  by  J.  F.  Patton.  The  mutual 
feature  does  not  commend  itself,  because  the  uncertainty  and  variability  of  the 
premiums,  payable  through  the  year,  robs  the  mutual  plan  of  that  element  of 
security  and  certainty  which  the  object  of  insurance  is  designed  to  foster. 
The  Compounding  by  Country  Physicians  was  the  theme  of  a  paper  by  J.  W. 
Ridpath,  giving  some  advice  to  village  apothecaries  in  their  intercourse  with 
physicians. 
Explosives  and  Explosive  Mixtures,  by  C.  D.  Lippincott. 
Weights  and  Measures,  by  W.  L.  Turner.  To  prepare  the  way  for  a  more  per- 
fect understanding  of  the  decimal  system,  and  to  make  the  several  denomina- 
tions readily  interchangeable  with  the  American  weights,  a  revision  of  the 
latter  is  proposed,  so  as  to  make  the  grain  the  fifteenth  part  of  the  metric  gram ; 
the  ounce  to  weigh  500  new  grains,  and  the  pound  14  new  ounces,  which  would 
make  the  kilo  equal  to  30  new  ounces.  For  the  word  gram  the  designation 
weight  might  be  adopted.  This  change  would  make  1  weight  (1  gram)  =  15 
grains;  1  deciweight  (01  gin.)  =  1 J  grain  ;  1  centiweight  (0"01  gm.)  =  ^  grain, 
and  one  milli  weight  (0*001  gm.)  =  grain.  The  relation  of  the  present  stan- 
dards with  the  proposed  new  one,  is  shown  in  the  following  table: 
1  avoird.  pound  =  453 }  weights  (or  gm.)  =  7000  old  grains  =  6804  new  grains. 
1  new         "     =466f     "  "      =  7201 J  "  =7000  " 
1  Troy    ounce  =  31-&  "  "       =  480    "  =  466J  " 
1  new         "     =  33^     "  "      =  514   "  =  500 
For  measures  of  capacity  the  metric  system  might  well  be  adopted,  and  if 
deemed  desirable,  the  terms  litre,  etc.,  might  be  readily  replaced  by  others  of 
corresponding  import. 
Indigenous  Drugs. — Geo.  W.  Stoeckel  gave  a  list  of  drugs  collected  in  Penn- 
