490  American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  {A™cfoberafem' 
generally  used  in  this  country.  The  fallacy  of  this  assumption  and 
the  consequent  inaccuracy  of  the  equivalents,  as  given  in  the  Phar- 
macopoeia, may  be  readily  shown.  A  description  was  given  of  an 
easily  applied  method  for  determining  the  exact  capacity  of  spoons 
of  different  sizes,  makes  and  patterns.  Attention  was  called  to  the 
approximate  measures  directed  by  other  national  Pharmacopoeias 
and  their  relation  to  the  actual  capacity  of  spoons,  and  some  rea- 
sons why  the  equivalents  adopted  in  other  countries  should  be  care- 
fully considered  in  this  connection. 
Medicinal  Plants  of  Texas.  By  E.  G.  Eberle.  It  was  stated 
that  about  fifty-one  plants  furnishing  official  drugs  are  found  in 
Texas. 
An  Experiment  in  Hydrastis  Culture.  By  J.  U.  Lloyd.  Read  by 
title.  The  experiments  recorded  show  that  Hydrastis  Canadensis  can 
be  raised  very  easily  by  transplanting  the  entire  root.  Since  the 
root  bears  prolific  lines  of  reserve  buds  from  end  to  end,  any 
of  which  will  sprout  the  year  the  cutting  is  made,  it  was  stated  that 
it  is  easy  also  to  multiply  the  plants  the  season  the  cuttings  are 
made.  The  influence  of  dry  weather  and  winter  conditions  will  be 
considered  in  another  paper. 
Japanese  Lac,  an  Exudation  from  Rhus  Vernicifera.  By  A.  B. 
Stevens.  One  might  conclude  from  the  title  of  this  paper  that  it 
would  be  of  greater  interest  to  the  painter  than  to  the  chemist  and 
pharmacist,  but  there  are  reasons  why  it  is  of  interest  to  the  latter, 
(i)  Because  it  contains  a  non-volatile  poison  similar  to  if  not  identi- 
cal with  poison  ivy.  (2)  It  contains  a  gum  said  to  be  identical  with 
gum  arabic.  (3)  It  contains  a  soluble  enzyme  which  acts  as  an  oxi- 
dizing agent.  (4)  The  lac,  when  hardened  by  the  action  of  the 
enzyme,  is  the  most  indestructible  of  any  known  lac,  resisting  the 
action  of  acid,  alkalies  and  the  ordinary  solvents,  as  alcohol,  ether, 
etc.  The  latter  fact  makes  it  especially  serviceable  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  various  utensils,  such  as  developing  trays,  etc. 
It  was  mentioned  that  it  has  been  definitely  proved  that  the  toxic 
principle  of  Rhus  toxicodendron  is  non-volatile. 
An  Expeditious  Method  for  the  Determination  of  Arsenic  Trioxide. 
By  Charles  E.  Caspari  and  Leo  Suppan.  The  iodometric  methods 
at  present  in  use  for  the  determination  of  arsenic  trioxide  involve 
a  loss  of  time  if  the  trioxide  is  dissolved  at  ordinary  tempera- 
tures in  sodium  bicarbonate  or  an  error  due  to  the  action  of 
