Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Feb.,  1888. 
SpeciJiG  Gh^avity  of  Fluids. 
67 
In  the  reorganization  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association  at 
the  Cincinnati  meeting,  in  September,  1887,  one  of  the  most  important 
changes  introduced  was  the  classification  of  the  various  subjects  which 
annually  come  before  the  meciting,  under  appropriate  heads,  and  pro- 
viding for  their  discussion  by  referring  them  to  Sections  especially 
organized  for  their  consideration. 
If  the  invitation  now  proposed  by  Dr.  Cutter  should  be  tendered 
to  the  Pharmaceutical  Association  there  will  be  presented  an  excellent 
opportunity  for  reciprocity,  through  the  establishment  of  a  Section 
devoted  to  the  interests  of  medicine,  and  as  the  conventions  of  the 
J^ational  Associations  occur  usually  four  or  five  months  apart,  the  meet- 
ings of  the  Section  on  Pharmacy  in  its  relations  to  Medicine  in  the 
American  Medical,  and  that  of  the  Section  on  Medicine  in  its  relations 
to  Pharmacy  in  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association  would  doubt- 
less have  a  good  influence  in  fostering  harmony,  and  creating  that 
mutual  confidence  and  trust  which  is  now  so  earnestly  desired  in  com- 
bating the  evils  which  harass  both  professions.  Cannot  all  little  differ- 
ences he  swept  aside,  the  ice  be  broken,  and  an  honorable  bond  of  union 
be  established  ? 
AN  EASY  METHOD  OF  FINDHSTG  THE  SPECIFIC 
GRAYITY  OF  LIQUIDS. 
By  Alfred  B.  Tayloe,  Ph.  M. 
A  new  application  of  an  old  rule  has  suggested  a  method  of  finding 
the  specific  gravity  of  liquids,  which  I  have  never  seen  mentioned, 
and  which  from  its  simplicity  and  great  ease  of  application  seems 
worthy  of  publication.  By  means  of  it  the  specific  gravity  of  any 
liquid  can  be  ascertained  without  calculation,  or  any  apparatus  other 
than  a  good  balance  and  accurate  weights. 
It  is  known  that  the  weight  of  a  body  is  to  its  specific  gravity,  as 
its  loss  of  weight  when  immersed  in  a  liquid,  is  to  the  specific  gravity 
of  that  liquid;  for  example: — 200  grains  of  citric  acid  (sp.  gr.  1'60) 
lose  in  weight  115  grains  when  weighed  in  oil ;  and  as  200  is  to  1'60, 
so  is  115  to  .920  the  sp.  gr.  of  the  oil.  Now  if  we  make  the  weight 
of  the  citric  acid  the  same  number  of  grains  as  its  specific  gravity 
our  formula  becomes — as  1*60  is  to  1*60,  so  is  the  loss  in  weight  of  the 
citric,  acid  when  weighed  in  oil  to  the  specific  gravity  of  the  oil ;  or. 
