526  American  Pharmaceutical  Association,    {^"^  St^^iS?'^"^' 
There  was  some  discussiDn  on  cutting  of  prices,  on  enforcement  of  pharmacy 
laws,  on  definition  of  "  the  best  general  exhibit,"  and  kindred  subjects.  The 
Chairman  completed  the  Committee  on  Commercial  Interests  by  appoint- 
ing Messrs.  Eliel,  of  Indiana;  Holzhauer,  of  Xew  Jersey,  and  Searby,  of  Cali- 
fornia, and  the  section  subsequently  adjourned. 
The  Section  on  Scientific  Papers  held  two  sessions  on  Wednesday,  and  one  on 
Thursday  forenoon.  The  Chairman,  Mr.  T.  Roberts  Baker,  and  the  Secretary,. 
Dr.  A.  B.  Lyons,  being  both  absent,  the  Section  was  called  to  order  by  the  third 
member  of  the  committee.  Prof.  Good,  who  presided  until,  before  the  final  ad- 
journment, the  new  committee  was  installed  consisting  of  Prof.  E.  Painter, 
New  York,  chairman ;  Prof.  Whelpley,  St.  Louis,  secretary,  and  Dr.  Eccles, 
Brooklyn.   The  papers  read  were  as  follows  : 
Artificial  Salicylic  Acid  ;  by  E.  E.  Ewell  and  A.  B.  Prescott.  The  paper  treated 
of  methods  for  estimating  the  quantities  of  homologous  acids  present  with  sali- 
cylic acid,  and  referred  first  to  acidimetry  by  means  of  j^-^  normal  alkali  in  the 
presence  of  phenolphthalein.  The  acids  taken  into  consideration  were  salicy- 
lic acid  (137'67),  hydroxytokiic  acid  1 151"64)  and  hydroxy-xylenic  acid  (165-61)  ; 
the  experimental  results  showed  that  with  the  use  of  sufficiently  delicate  and 
verified  instruments  4  or  5  per  cent,  of  hydroxytoluic  acid  may  be  detected, 
othc-r  interfering  impurities  being  absent. 
Another  method  tried  was  conversion  into  phenols  by  distilling  15  gm.  of 
the  acid  with  an  equal  weight  of  lime ;  the  distillate — if  necessary  liquefied  by 
adding  a  little  water— was  mixed  with  an  equal  volume  of  9  per  cent,  sodium 
hydrate,  and  the  clear  mixture  diluted  with  water,  until  after  stirring  there  re- 
mained visible  precipitation.  The  method  can  be  made  eff'ectual  probably 
with  closer  results  than  those  obtained  by  acidimetry.  Preliminary  experiments 
with  mixtures  of  cresylic  and  carbolic  acids  had  given  the  following  results: 
Volume  per  cent,  of  cresol  in  Calculated  weight  percent, 
the  distillate.  i   of  hydroxy-toluic  acid  dis- 
i  tilled. 
5 
10 
15 
20 
25 
30 
35 
40 
45 
50 
4-9 
9-8 
14-8 
19-8 
24-7 
297 
34-7 
39-7 
44-7 
49-7 
After  adding  an  equal  vol- 
ume of  9  sol.  of  soda,  num- 
ber volumes  of  water  added 
before  precipitation. 
6-7 
60 
5-25 
4-5 
4-0 
36 
3-3 
31 
2-8 
2-6 
The  third  method  tried  was  separation  of  the  acids  by  the  diff'erence  in  solu- 
bility of  their  calcium  salts;  but  the  results  were  not  promising. 
Calycanthus  seed.— .The  seeds  of  Calycanthus  glaucus,  Wilkl,  are  reported,  in 
the  Southern  states,  to  be  poisonous  to  animals,  producing  symptoms  resem-^ 
blirg  those  following  the  use  of  strychnine.  Dr.  R.  G.  Eccles  has  isolated  from 
the  seeds  a  minute  quantity  of  a  new  alkaloid,  calycanthine,  which  is  slightly 
