^ManVis^™  }  Minutes  of  the  PharmaceuticaiMeeting.  1 5  5 
The  Registrar,  on  behalf  of  Prof.  Bridges,  presented  for  the  library  a  copy  of 
Bowman's  "  Medical  Chemistry,""  and  also  one  of  his  "  Practical  Chemistry,"  for 
which  the  Registrar  was  directed  to  return  the  thanks  of  the  meeting. 
Mr.  Gaillard  read  a  paper  upon  the  use  of  the  microscope  in  pharmacy  (see  page 
1 16),  which  was  referred  to  the  publication  committee.  A  member  present  asked 
whether  there  was  any  systematic  treatise  upon  the  microscope  as  applied  to  the  uses 
of  the  pharmacist,  and  the  response  was  that  no  such  treatise  existed. 
As  a  matter  of  passing  interest,  Mr.  Bullock  called  the  attention  of  the  meeting 
to  the  coloring  matter  termed  uranin,  a  derivative  of  coal  tar.  Only  the  tenth  part 
of  a  grain  was  thrown  into  about  half  a  pint  of  distilled  water,  and  in  a  few  moments 
a  beautiful  greenish-yellow  coloration  was  developed,  showing  a  fluorescence  of  great 
brilliancy. 
Mr.  Bullock  read  a  short  paper  upon  Japanese  filtering-paper,  received  by  him 
from  a  correspondent  in  Yokohoma.  The  samples  vary  from  a  coarse  uneven  tex- 
ture to  a  fineness  almost  like  tissue.  The  material  from  which  it  is  manufactured 
seems  to  have  undergone  little,  if  any,  bleaching.  An  inspection  shows  it  to  be 
hand-made,  after  the  primitive  Japanese  method,  on  frames  made  of  bamboo,  in  one 
direction  the  markings  being  fine,  while  in  the  transverse  direction  they  are  quite 
coarse,  and  evidently  the  marks  of  the  supports  of  the  sieves.  Some  of  the  paper 
was  soaked  in  water  and  made  into  a  pulp,  which  was  stained  lightly  with  a  staining 
fluid  made  from  logwood — much  used  by  microscopists  for  this  purpose — and  then 
well  washed.  When  examined  under  the  microscope,  it  appears  that  one  part  of  the 
fibre  has  become  colored  and  another  is  not  affected.  By  increased  magnifying 
power  we  find  the  stained  fibres  are  ducts,  some  of  them  showing  annular  or  spiral 
markings,  and  occasionally  we  find  in  them  cubical  or  rhomboidal  crystals.  That 
part  which  is  not  colored  is  the  woody  fibre.  At  intervals,  links  of  closed  cells  are 
noticed,  which  contain  granular  matter,  probably  derived  from  the  integuments  or 
outer  covering.  This  collection  of  debris  has  probably  belonged  to  the  pith,  and  all 
is  evidently  derived  from  the  reed,  which  is  the  source  of  material  of  which  the 
paper  is  fabricated. 
Prof.  Maisch  exhibited  some  specimens  of  artificial  flowers  from  China,  and  of 
paintings  on  what  is  called  "  rice  paper,"  but  which  is  really  the  pith  of  a  plant,  said 
to  be  Aralia  papyrifera,  sliced  very  dexterously  by  a  knife. 
A  specimen  of  oil  of  spearmint  was  exhibited  by  a  member,  which,  when  pur- 
chased a  few  weeks  since,  appeared  to  be  fresh,  as  was  represented,  but  in  this  short 
time  had  become  much  resinified,  and  had  even  deposited  a  considerable  percentage 
of  crystalline  matter. 
The  risk  of  using  plate  glass  shelves  without  having  longitudinal  suppoits  beneath 
them  to  prevent  their  falling  if  they  crack,  was  noticed.  In  an  instance  occurring 
lately,  the  glass  seemed  to  have  first  split  into  a  great  many  small  portions  with  some- 
thing like  an  explosion j  this  occurred  when  the  amount  of  weight  was  not  nearly  as 
great  as  had  formerly  been  sustained  by  the  shelf. 
Prof.  Sadtler  exhibited  and  explained  the  Glaciere  Italienney  a  little  apparatus 
designed  for  the  quick  production  of  small  quantities  of  ice.    The  apparatus  con- 
