364  Pharmaceutical  Colleges  and  Associations.  {Ammj$r/w^m' 
to  be  reliable  and  ready  methods  for  detecting  the  presence  of  resinous,  bitumi- 
nous and  other  organic  matters. 
Camphor  Cerate,  by  C.  A.  Heinitsh. — Ointments  and  cerates,  containing  from 
10  to  30  per  cent,  of  camphor,  are  prescribed  in  many  sections  of  our  country, 
and  may  be  used  as  substitutes  for  the  so-called  camphor  ice.  The  pharmaco- 
pceial  camphor  cerate  is  too  weak  a  preparation,  and,  having  been  admitted 
mainly  for  the  extemporaneous  preparation  of  Goulard's  cerate,  may  well  be 
dropped;  the  use  of  the  latter  being  now  almost  obsolete. 
Oleates  in  Officinal  Ointments,  by  C.  T.  George. — Ointments,  prepared  according 
to  the  pharmacopoeia,  were  treated  with  benzin,  the  filtrate  evaporated,  the 
residue  dissolved  in  a  hot  mixture  of  chloroform  1  vol.  and  alcohol  3  vol.,  the 
solution  placed  on  ice  to  separate  stearin,  and  the  nitrate  evaporated  and  tested 
for  the  metals,  the  presence  of  which  was  shown  in  the  case  of  the  ointments 
of  zinc  oxide,  mercury,  mercuric  oxide  and  mercuric  nitrate.  The  amour  t  of 
oleate  formed  was  shown  approximately  from  the  amount  remaining  undis- 
solved in  benzin ;  for  240  grains  of  ointment  the  loss  was  for  mercurial  oint- 
ment, 40  grains ;  ointment  of  red  mercuric  oxide,  8  grains,  and  ointment  of 
yellow  mercuric  oxide,  10  grains.    Ointments  of  nutgall  treated  with  benzin  or 
011  of  turpentine  showed  in  the  solution  the  presence  of  tannic  and  gallic  acids, 
if  made  with  lard,  and  the  absence  of  these  compounds  in  the  solution  from 
ointment  made  with  petrolatum. 
Concentrated  Nitrous  Ether,  by  Professor  L.  E.  Sayre. — Attention  is  called  to 
the  rapid  decrease  of  ethyl  nitrite  in  the  officinal  spirit  under  ordinary  expo- 
sure, and  it  is  suggested  that  the  spirit  be  prepared  in  small  quantities  from  the 
concentrated  ether,  kept  in  sealed  vials  in  a  dark  and  cool  place.  Two  samples 
of  commercial  concentrated  nitrous  ether  showed  the  presence  of  89  and  90  per 
cent,  of  crude  ether. 
The  Yield  of  Extract  of  Nux  Vomica. — Prof.  Maisch  corrects  a  statement  in- 
correctly reported  in  the  discussion  last  year.  From  2200  lbs.  of  nux  vomica, 
percolating  with  alcohol  sp.  gr.,  .835,  the  yield  of  extract  was  almost  exactly  10 
per  cent.,  but  varied  in  some  experiments  between  8.1  and  11.3  per  cent. 
These  results  agree  well  with  those  of  Conroy  and  Lyons,  reported  by  Dr.  A.  B. 
Lyons  in  a  paper  read  before  the  Michigan  Pharmaceutical  Association  in  1885. 
Weaker  alcohol  yields  a  larger  amount  of  extract,  and  infusion  with  hot  water 
gives  from  18  to  22  per  cent.  By  maceration  with  alcohol,  a  much  smaller 
amount  of  extract  of  nux  vomica  is  obtained,  as  is  shown  by  the  statements  of 
French  and  German  authors.  In  preparing  the  tincture  of  nux  vomica,  U.  S. 
P.,  the  alcoholic  strength  of  the  mentruum  used  for  exhausting  the  drug  must 
be  scrupulously  adhered  to. 
Messrs.  Joseph  Roberts,  of  Baltimore,  and  Fred.  Hoffmann,  of  New  York,  were 
elected  honorary  members. 
The  officers  for  the  current  year  are  Jas.  A.  Meyers,  of  Columbia,  president; 
Wm.  L.  Turner,  of  Philadelphia,  and  J.  Harris,  of  Hamburg,  vice-presidents. 
Messrs.  J.  L.  Lemberger  and  J.  A.  Miller  were  re-elected  treasurer  and  secretary, 
and  Wm.  B.  Thompson,  of  Philadelphia,  was  elected  assistant  secretary.  The 
next  meeting  will  be  held  in  Philadelphia  on  the  second  Tuesday  of  June,  1887. 
By  invitation,  the  members  and  guests  paid^a  visit  to  one  of  the  furnaces  of 
the  Cornwall  Iron  Works,  and  witnessed  several  castings  of  pig  iron.  Visits 
