Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1905. 
Pharmaceutical  Meeting. 
349 
acid.  He  said  that  it  was  not  the  spoiling  of  the  solution,  that  is, 
the  formation  of  microscopic  organisms,  which  was  to  be  guarded 
against  so  much  as  the  hydrolysis  of  the  salts,  these  being  very  un- 
stable. He  also  said  that  it  was  very  difficult  to  produce  the  solu- 
tions of  gelatin  used  in  surgery,  as  they  cannot  be  sterilized,  and 
referred  to  several  fatal  cases  of  poisoning  which  had  occurred 
lately,  particularly  in  Germany.  He  said  that  some  manufacturers 
put  up  sterile  solutions  of  gelatin  which  are  intended  to  be  diluted 
with  sterile  water. 
With  regard  to  percentage  solutions,  Mr.  Wilbert  said  that  the 
work  was  much  simplified  by  making  the  calculations  in  the  metric 
system  and  by  the  use  of  metric  weights  and  measures. 
Mr.  Wiegand  agreed  with  this,  and  said  that  he  did  not  believe 
in  converting  one  system  into  another,  particularly  when  in  a  hurry. 
He  thought  it  was  much  better  to  use  either  one  system  or  the 
other. 
Mr.  Boring  said  that  there  was  an  advantage  in  using  alcohol  in 
making  strychnine  solutions,  as  it  not  only  helped  to  dissolve  the 
salt,  but  also  was  an  advantage  in  dispensing. 
M.  I.  Wilbert,  Ph.M.,  read  a  paper  on  "A  Quarterly  Review  of 
Progress  in  Pharmacy,"  which  was  published  in  the  June  issue  of 
this  Journal  (Vol.  lxxvii,  p.  281). 
In  discussing  the  paper  Joseph  L.  Lemberger,  Ph.M.,  of  Lebanon, 
Pa.,  referred  to  the  recent  amendment  of  the  Pennsylvania  pharmacy 
law,  and  said  that  it  was  much  easier  to  amend  a  law  than  it  was  to 
enact  it  in  the  first  place.  He  thought  that  a  great  advance  had 
been  made,  particularly  when  it  is  remembered  that  the  people  in 
the  country  have  not  the  advantages  in  an  educational  way  enjoyed 
by  the  residents  of  cities. 
Mr.  Wilbert  said  that  the  educational  system  in  Pennsylvania  is 
at  fault.  He  said  we  should  try  to  get  back  of  the  schools,  and 
that  there  would  be  an  advantage  in  having  a  universal  body  to  look 
after  the  educational  work  in  the  State,  as  is  the  case  in  New  York, 
and  that  the  teaching  body  should  not  conduct  the  examinations. 
Wm.  Mclntyre,  who  is  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Education  in 
Philadelphia,  agreed  that  there  would  be  an  advantage  in  having  a 
central  educational  body,  which  would  advance  the  people's  school 
on  the  one  hand  and  at  the  same  time  consider  the  interests  of  the 
universities.    He  said  it  was  often  a  question  as  to  how  far  the  pub- 
