410  Apprentice  Examinations.  {AmAug!'Sarm' 
whether  the  leaves  of  iEsculus  Hippocastanum,  Lin.,  contain  cocaine 
or  an  alkaloid  having  analogous  properties.  F.  O.  Ray  treated  the 
leaves  according  to  the  improved  process  of  Dr.  Squibb  for  the  assay 
of  coca  leaves  (Ephemeris  II,  7 SI,  May,  1885),  and  also  according  to 
the  process  recommended  by  Dr.  A.  B.  Lyons  (Am.  Jour.  Phar., 
1885,  p.  466),  but  without  obtaining  any  decided  reaction  for  an 
alkaloid.  Other  experiments,  made  for  the  purpose  of  determining 
the  presence  of  a  volatile  alkaloid,  of  a  volatile  acid,  or  of  caffeine 
(which  is  present  in  the  seeds  of  Paullinia  sorbilis,  Martius),  gave 
likewise  negative  results,  and  it  was  ascertained  that  resculin,  which 
is  abundantly  contained  in  the  bark  of  the  horsechestnut,  is  appar- 
ently entirely  wanting  in  the  leaves. 
Gehe  &  Co.  (Phar.  Zeitung,  1885,  Xo.  78)  obtained  from  horse- 
chestnut  leaves  traces  of  a  volatile  liquid  alkaloid,  colored  red  by  sul- 
phuric acid,  and  probably  identical  with  a  similar  substance  contained 
in  coca  leaves. —  Contrib.  Dep.  Phar.,  Univ.  Wise,  1886,  pp.  27,  28. 
The  Leaves  of  Acer  dasycarpum,  Ehrhart,  the  white  or  silver  maple, 
were  examined  by  Emil  Weschcke,  the  results  being  quite  analogous 
to  the  foregoing.  Traces  of  a  substance  were  found  affording  reac- 
tions similar  to  those  of  alkaloids;  and  ether  extracted  from  alkaline 
solutions  a  very  small  amount  of  a  neutral  crystallizable  principle, 
which  was  not  further  examined. — Lbid,  p.  29. 
APPRENTICE  EXAMINATIONS. 
At  the  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy,  held  February  2d,  1886,  the  following  remarks  were  made  by  Wal- 
lace Procter  : 
"  The  subject  of  preliminary  examination  of  the  applicants  for  tuition  in  the 
college,  has  from  time  to  time  come  before  the  Board  for  discussion  and  action. 
In  my  opinion,  the  present  method  dividing  the  inquiry  into  the  capacity  of 
the  student  into  three  parts,  eligibility  for  the  final  examination  depending  on 
his  success  at  those  preceding  it,  is  the  best  yet  devised.  The  test  scholarship 
is  strictly  applied,  while  the  ability  of  the  pupil  to  profit  by  didactic  teaching, 
illustration  and  the  accompanying  necessary  study  is  fully  tested. 
Now  we  know  that  many  who  present  themselves  for  the  technical  teaching 
of  a  school  of  pharmacy,  are  deficient  in  the  primary  knowledge,  so  essential 
to  the  successful  prosecution  of  the  study  of  the  higher  branches  of  scientific 
knowledge  taught  therein. 
Now  what  is  the  remedy  for  this?    And  how  can  it  be  applied? 
To  me  it  seems  that  the  responsibility  lies  with  the  master  or  employer  who 
first  takes  the  green  hand  and  attempts  to  fashion  him  into  a  pharmacist.  He 
