Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
September,  1913.  | 
A  Counsel  of  Perfection. 
415 
has  been  redetermined.  It  has  been  found  that  the  glucoside  in 
question  does  not  melt  at  so  low  a  temperature  as  1600,  unless  it 
has  become  partially  decomposed  by  very  slow  or  prolonged  heating. 
When  heated  fairly  rapidly,  in  the  ordinary  manner,  fusion  occurs 
at  200-2020. 
The  observations  recorded  in  this  note  readily  explain  why 
it  was  that  Tunmann  failed  to  obtain  any  satisfactory  sublimate 
from  the  bark  of  JEs cuius  hippo cast anum,  which  is  known  to  con- 
tain a  fairly  abundant  amount  of  sesculin,  but  which,  so  far  as 
known,  is  devoid  of  scopoletin. 
The  detection  of  scopoletin  in  gelsemium  may,  however,  prove 
to  be  a  valuable  means  of  distinguishing  this  drug  from  others  of  a 
similar  appearance,  such  as  that  derived  from  Gelsemium  elegans, 
Benth.,  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  sublimation  method  is  the 
most  convenient  one.  If  0.5  gramme  of  ground  gelsemium  be 
heated  in  a  test  tube  with  chloroforms,  the  mixture  filtered,  and  the 
nitrate  shaken  with  water  to  which  a  few  drops  of  dilute  ammonia 
have  been  added,  the  aqueous  layer,  on  separation,  will  be  found 
to  show  a  distinct,  blue  fluorescence,  thus  indicating  the  presence  of 
scopoletin. 
A  COUNSEL  OF  PERFECTION :  A  PLAN  FOR  AN  AUTO- 
MATIC COLLECTION  AND  DISTRIBUTION  OF  A 
STATE  TAX  FOR  HIGHER  EDUCATION.1 
BY  J.  G.  ROSENGARTEN. 
The  example  of  the  western  state  universities  suggests  a  similar 
organization  for  other  states.  Here  in  Pennsylvania  the  Univer^ 
sity,  dating  from  1740,  when  under  -the  inspiration  of  Whitefield, 
the  plan  of  a  school  was  first  mooted,  has  outgrown  its  modest 
endowments.  Biennially  it  goes  to  the  legislature  to  ask  help  to  carry 
on  its  work.  In  the  interval  it  appeals  to  its  alumni  and  friends 
for  help  to  meet  its  pressing  needs,  higher  salaries,  a  larger  teaching 
force,  and  more  buildings  and  appliances  for  its  multifarious  edu- 
cational needs. 
What  is  true  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  fa  true  of  all 
1Read  at  the  Annual  Meeting  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society, 
April  17,  1913,  and  reprinted  from  the  Proceedings  of  the  Society,  52,  1913, 
pp.  243-256. 
