Ana'juryr,'i906!rm*}  Pharmaceutical  Meetings.  349 
said  that  for  compounding  medicines  of  this  character  he  keeps  on 
hand  small  bottles  of  water  which  have  been  sterilized. 
Professor  Lowe  exhibited  a  label  or  tag  which  he  attaches  to 
packages  sent  out  to  customers  and  which  he  has  found  of  advan- 
tage in  keeping  a  record  of  money  collected  on  delivery.  The  label 
consists  of  two  parts,  one  to  be  retained  by  the  customer,  showing 
whether  the  purchase  has  been  charged,  paid  for,  or  is  to  be  col- 
lected, and  one  to  be  returned  to  the  store,  giving  the  name  of  the 
customer,  the  amount  collected  and  the  amount  of  change. 
Mr.  Boring  also  presented  some  items  of  practical  interest.  He 
said  that  the  process  of  powdering  balm  of  Gilead  buds  is  materially 
assisted  by  the  use  of  purified  talcum.  Referring  to  the  fact  that 
official  alum  is  potash  alum,  Mr.  Boring  spoke  of  the  repeated 
attempts  which  he  had  to  make  to  obtain  this  particular  salt,  the  dealer 
supplying  him  having  furnished  ammonia  alum  instead.  In  com- 
menting on  a  prescription  which  directed  the  making  of  40  grains  of 
extract  of  ergot,  10  grains  of  extract  of  belladonna  and  1  grain  of 
strychnin  sulphate  into  40  pills,  Mr.  Boring  said  that  the  use  of  a 
vegetable  powder  gave  too  large  a  pill,  but  that  the  use  of  about 
20  grains  of  spermaceti  gave  a  pill  of  desirable  size  and  consistency. 
Joseph  W.  England  read  a  paper  on  "  Syrup  of  Wild  Cherry, 
U.  S.  P.  1900,"  (see  p.  267). 
Mr.  Wilbert  said  that  there  is  some  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the 
use  of  syrup  of  wild  cherry.  By  some  physicians  it  is  used  as  a 
vehicle  only,  in  which  case  a  thin  syrup  is  better.  He  also  said  that 
a  thin  syrup  or  one  made  without  glycerin  is  more  economical,  and 
for  this  reason  he  had  been  omitting  the  glycerin  and  replacing  it 
with  sugar  for  some  time. 
Mr.  England  was  inclined  to  the  view  that  the  therapeutic  activity 
of  the  preparation  is  due  to  hydrocyanic  acid  and  bitter  principle, 
and  said  that  if  this  be  granted,  then  the  strength  has  been  cut  down 
very  materially.  Mr.  Boring  recommended  placing  a  pad  of  cheese 
cloth  in  the  bottom  of  the  percolator  used  in  extracting  the  powdered 
bark.  He  said  that  cheese  cloth  is  preferable  to  sponge,  cotton 
flannel  or  cotton,  and  is  also  useful  in  making  plain  syrup  if  care  be 
taken  not  to  jar  the  contents  of  the  percolator.  Mr.  Toplis  said 
that  the  whole  secret  of  the  process  of  making  syrup  by  percolation 
lies  in  providing  sufficient  drainage,  and  recommended  placing  some 
coarse  material  in  the  bottom  of  the  percolator.    He  said  that  he 
