188 
College  Notes. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
March,  19 19. 
conditions,  and  find  out  if  the  mixtures  were  still  fulfilling  the 
United  States  Pharmacopoeia  requirement  with  regard  to  strength. 
With  reference  to  the  10  per  cent,  foreign  material  which  was 
employed — 10  per  cent,  of  secondary  stems  were  used  as  shown  in 
the  text  of  the  article  on  page  13,  line  16.  My  purpose  in  taking  10 
per  cent,  of  secondary  stems  was  again  for  a  practical  considera- 
tion. If  stems  are  considered  foreign  material  by  the  United  States 
Pharmacopoeia  in  harvesting  by  picking  the  leaves  or  cutting  the 
upper  parts  of  the  plant  with  a  knife,  we  would  be  more  apt  to 
gather  the  secondary  stems  in  conjunction  with  the  leaf,  than  the 
primary  stems. 
It  is  true,  from  the  results  of  the  determinations  as  presented  in 
table  IV.,  page  14  of  the  article,  secondary  stems  could  hardly  be 
considered  "  inert,"  or  foreign  material  either,  for  that  matter. 
Regarding  the  accuracy  of  preparing  the  samples  and  the  work 
in  grinding  the  samples  for  analysis,  and  making  the  analytical  de- 
terminations, very  great  care  was  manifested  in  every  phase  of  the 
work.  The  analytical  work  was  checked  gravimetrically  and  volu- 
metrically. 
I  am  very  glad  that  this  matter  has  been  called  to  my  attention 
and  your  letter  and  a  copy  of  my  reply  will  be  placed  in  the  hands 
of  the  publishers  as  you  suggested. 
Very  truly  yours, 
George  P.  Koch, 
Agricultural  Chemist. 
COLLEGE  NOTES. 
First  Naval  Hospital  Unit  at  P.  C.  P.  Closes  Its  Work. — 
On  Thursday  evening,  February  13,  there  was  held  in  the  Audi- 
torium and  Museum  of  the  college  the  closing  exercises  of  the  U.  S. 
Naval  Hospital  Corpsimen  who  had  completed  a  three  months'  course 
of  intensive  training  in  the  U.  S.  Naval  Hospital  Corps  Training 
School  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy. 
Addresses  were  made  by  Admiral  Hughes,  Commandant  of  the 
Philadelphia  Navy  Yard  and  Ex-Governor  Edwin  S.  Stuart. 
One  hundred  and  sixty-two  men  were  in  the  unit  at  its  beginning, 
but  a  number  had  been  transferred  or  discharged  during  the  three 
months.    Certificates  were  awarded  to  the  men  who  had  satis- 
