518  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference.  {ABaoe£fiSwm 
and  shaking  the  alkaloid  out  with  chloroform;  upon  treating  the  chloroform io 
liquor  with  dilute  hydrochloric  acid  and  evaporating  ulexine  hydrochlorate  is 
obtained  in  crystals.  The  free  base  is  separated  in  a  crystalline  form  by 
decomposing  the  purified  hydrochlorate  in  aqueous  solution  with  soda,  shak- 
ing it  out  with  chloroform  and  evaporating.  The  yield  of  ulexine  from  the 
seeds  by  this  process  was  only  0191  per  cent,;  the  alkaloid  has  also  been 
obtained  from  the  bark  and  young  tops  of  furze,  but  in  still  smaller  propor- 
tion. Ulexine  is  described  as  being  soluble  in  its  own  weight  of  water,  but 
quite  insoluble  in  ether.  It  readily  forms  crystalline  salts,  and  these,  as  well 
as  the  base,  are  said  to  give  a  characteristic  deep  red  color  with  ferric  chloride. 
Mr.  Gerrard  devoted  a  paragraph  to  the  galenical  preparations  of  furze,  but 
propably  this  information  may,  without  disadvantage,  await  the  publication 
of  the  paper. 
False  cubebs. — In  some  notes  on  the  chemical  examination  of  the  fruit  of  Daph- 
nidium  Cubeba,  which  were  epitomized  by  Mr.  Umney  in  the  absence  of  the 
authors,  Messrs.  Braithwaite  and  Farr  described  the  results  of  their  experi- 
ments with  the  several  extracts  obtained  by  treating  the  material  successively 
with  petroleum  spirit,  ether,  alcohol  and  water.  They  succeeded  in  ascertaining 
the  presence  of  rather  more  than  one  per  cent,  of  a  volatile  oil,  and  a  consider- 
able amount  of  fat  oil  containing  oleic,  capric  and  lauric  acids,  together  with 
resinous  substances  presenting  characters  analogous  to  those  of  alkaloids  and 
glucosides,  but  owing  to  the  want  of  sufficient  material  these  constituents 
could  not  be  thoroughly  studied.  A  sample  of  the  oil  which  was  shown  dif- 
fered markedly  in  odor  from  the  oil  of  genuine  cubebs,  resembling  pretty 
closely  in  this  respect  oil  of  lemon  grass. 
Citrate  of  iron  and  quinine. — The  last  communication  read  on  Tuesday  consisted 
of  notes  on  the  examination  of  some  trade  samples  of  this  compound,  by  Mr. 
F.  H.  Alcock.  The  samples,  six  in  number,  which  were  described  as  "typical 
representatives  of  B.P.  kind,"  were  examined  in  respect  to  solubility,  amount  of 
ferric  oxide,  alkaloidal  constituent  and  sulphate  present.  Only  one  sample 
was  represented  as  coming  up  to  the  B.P.  standard  in  containing  15  per  cent, 
of  alkaloid,  and  this  sample  also  gave  the  best  result  in  respect  to  solubility, 
but  it  contained  as  much  as  1'812  per  cent,  of  sulphate.  This  quantity  of  sul- 
phate was  exceeded  in  two  other  specimens,  and  suggested  the  possibility  that 
quinine  sulphate  had  been  added  directly  in  their  preparation.  In  the  discus- 
sion which  followed  this  paper,  Mr.  Umney  expressed  an  opinion,  which  met 
with  a  general  affirmatory  response,  that  citrate  of  iron  and  quinine  which 
does  not  answer  to  the  present  official  requirement  in  containing  15  per  cent, 
of  quinine  is  improperly  made,  and  is  a  disgrace  to  pharmacy. 
After  this  discussion  the  Conference  adjourned  until  Wednesday  morning. 
A  very  pleasant  sequel  to  the  day's  proceedings  was  arranged  by  the  local 
committee,  which  had  provided  a  number  of  brakes,  some  of  which  conveyed 
a  party  of  members  to  the  Mint,  where  ample  opportunity  was  given  for  see- 
ing the  process  of  minting  coins  of  copper,  bronze,  nickel  and  brass,  from  the 
melting  of  the  alloy  to  the  striking  of  the  coin.  Another  party  meanwhile 
visited  the  exhibition,  and  at  6  o'clock,  having  rejoined,  the  whole  of  the 
members  were  taken  for  a  beautiful  drive  into  the  southern  suburb  of  Bir- 
mingham. 
