ADocwber^mm'}    American  Pharmaceutical  Association.  495 
preparations.  Some  objections  to  the  use  of  purified  aloes.  The 
article  on  aloes  in  the  eighth  decennial  revision  of  the  U.S. P.  An 
enumeration  of  several  of  the  more  important  or  more  evident 
shortcomings.  The  necessity  for  an  official  description  of  the  pow- 
dered drug.  The  error  of  restricting  the  official  aloes  to  varieties 
containing  isobarbaloin.  The  evident  mistake  of  continuing  the  use 
of  purified  aloes  in  the  official  preparations  of  that  drug.  A  sug- 
gestion for  a  more  rational  solution  of  the  problems  involved. 
Analysts  of  the  Mexican  Plant  Tecoma  Mollis.  By  L.  F.  Kebler 
and  A.  Seidell.  The  above  plant  is  used  in  Mexico  as  a  remedy, 
and  an  examination  was  made  to  determine  its  proximate  principles. 
This  plant  is  also  said  to  be  indigenous  to  Columbia,  Peru  and  Chili, 
and  to  be  known  by  the  following  synonyms  :  Tecoma  sorbifolia,  H.  B. 
K.,  Tecoma  stans  y  velutina,  DC,  Stenolobium  molle  and  Bignonia  teco- 
moides,  DC.  A  careful  examination  of  the  literature  dealing  with 
medicinal  plants  failed  to  reveal  any  recorded  investigation  of  this 
plant  under  "any  one  of  the  names  enumerated. 
For  this  analysis  the  leaves  only  were  used.  Complete  analyses 
by  both  the  DragendorfT  and  Parsons  methods  were  made.  The  re- 
sults, which  are  given  in  full,  show  that  Tecoma  mollis  contains  no 
alkaloid  or  other  well-characterized  medicinally  important  plant 
constituent.  It  contains,  however,  a  bitter  principle  soluble  in  di- 
lute alcohol,  to  which  is  probably  due  whatever  medicinal  proper- 
ties the  plant  may  possess. 
The  De  sit  ability  of  Using  Uniform  and  Distinct  Abbreviations 
for  Periodicals,  with  a  Suggested  List.  By  L.  F.  Kebler.  The  de- 
sirability of  using  concise,  clear  and  definite  references  in  literature 
becomes  apparent  to  any  one  who  gives  the  subject  only  superficial 
thought.  Particularly  is  this  true  of  the  pharmaceutical  profession 
because  of  its  cognate  nature  and  the  vast  field  covered.  A  few 
samples  of  references,  found  in  the  last  volume  of  the  proceedings  of 
the  Association,  show  how  vague  and  useless  some  of  them  are. 
Examples  of  a  system  to  be  followed  in  making  abbreviations  are 
outlined.  The  abbreviations  cover  such  periodicals  as  are  commonly 
met  with  in  pharmaceutical  work. 
The  report  of  the  Committee  on  Chairman's  Address  was  pre- 
sented by  W.  A.  Puckner,  and  recommended  the  formation  of  a  Stand- 
ing Committee  on  Drug  Market,  to  consist  of  a  chairman,  secretary 
and  three  experts — a  pharmacologist,  a  chemist  and  a  microscopist 
