Ara  0ctu!'i879ann'}  Pharmaceutical  Colleges  and  Associations.  523 
fatty  acid,  gynocardic  acid,  associated  with  palmitic  acid,  hypogoeicacid  and  cocinic 
acid. 
Dr.  Hamberg's  paper  on  the  "  Capacity  of  Different  Organs  to  absorb  and  retain 
Arsenic  in  Cases  of  Chronic  Poisoning,"  described  the  chemical  results  obtained  in 
a  physiological  investigation  carried  out  for  the  purpose  of  elucidating  this  subject. 
The  last  paper  read  was  on  the  "  Estimation  of  Morphia  in  Turkey  Opium,"  by 
Professor  Fluckiger.  The  author  recommended  the  exhaustion  of  the  opium  with 
cold  water  as  being  the  most  convenient  for  extracting  the  morphia'.  The  clear 
liquid  is  then  mixed  with  definite  proportions  of  alcohol,  ether  and  ammonia,  and 
after  shaking  crystals  of  morphia  are  formed  at  the  surface  of  the  layer  of  ether. 
After  a  day  or  two,  the  whcle  of  it  is  deposited  and  can  be  collected  and  weighed. 
At  the  conclusion  of  the  reading  of  papers,  a  ballot  was  taken  for  the  election  of 
officers  of  the  Conference  for  the  ensuing  year,  which  resulted  in  the  choice  of  Mr. 
William  Southall,  of  Birmingham,  as  President.  The  place  of  the  next  meeting,, 
decided  in  accordance  with  the  previous  custom  of  accompanying  the  meeting  of 
the  British  Association,  is  Swansea,  and  Mr.  J.  Hughes,  of  that  town,  has  been 
elected  Local  Secretary  ;  the  Vice-Presidents  being  Mr.  Grose  of  Swansea,  Mr. 
Reynolds  of  Leeds,  Mr.  Ward  of  Sheffield,  and  Mr.  Sandford  of  London. 
The  usual  votes  of  thanks  for  the  services  rendered  by  the  members  of  the  Local; 
Committee  were  then  proposed,  special  mention  being  made  of  the  names  of  Mr. 
Ward,  President  of  the  Sheffield  Chemical  and  Pharmaceutical  Association,  Mr. 
Maleham,  the  Local  Secretary  of  the  Conference,  and  Mr.  Learoyd,  who  has 
actively  assisted  him.  These  complimentary  acknowledgments  of  the  service 
rendered  to  the  Conference  were  never  more  thoroughly  well  merited,  and  we  think 
that  all  who  were  present  at  this  meeting  will  share  the  opinion  expressed  by  a 
Yorkshire  man,  that  Yorkshire  has  reason  to  be  proud  of  the  way  that  Sheffield  has 
received  the  Conference  and  maintained  the  credit  of  the  county. 
On  the  following  day  the  prospects  of  fine  weather  at  an  early  hour  were  very 
slender,  but  at  the  time  fixed  for  meeting  at  the  Freemason's  Hall  it  had  so  far 
improved  that  there  was  a  large  muster  of  members,  a  few  of  whom  were  accom- 
panied by  ladies,  and  the  excursion  was  carried  out  in  accordance  with  the  pro- 
gramme indicated  last  week.  With  the  exception  of  one  brisk  shower,  a  kicking 
mare  and  some  mountain  dew  there  was  nothing  to  mar  the  enjoyment  of  the  enter- 
tainment that  had  been  provided  by  the  zealous  exertions  of  the  Local  Committee. 
Before  eleven  o'clock  at  night  the  whole  party  had  returned  safely  to  Sheffield  with- 
out any  mishap  and  highly  delighted  with  the  excursion. 
Besides  providing  for  the  convenient  lodging  accommodation  of  visitors  and  for 
their  amusement  the  efforts  of  the  Local  Committee  were  extended  to  obtaining  for 
them  access  to  some  of  the  interesting  manufactories  existing  in  Sheffield.  First 
amongst  these  must  be  mentioned  the  works  where  the  manufacture  of  steel  accord- 
ing to  the  Bessemer  method  is  carried  on  in  the  manner  described  in  this  Journal 
when  the  process  was  only  in  its  infancy.  It  was  naturally  at  Sheffield  that  the 
inauguration  of  this  method  took  place,  and  those  who  had  an  opportuniiy  of  wit- 
nessing the  enormous  extent  to  which  it  has  developed  during  the  last  thirty  years 
have  great  reason  to  be  grateful  to  the  Local  Committee  for  having  procured  for 
them  an  opportunity  of  witnessing  the  operations  of  this  interesting  branch  of 
