40  Pharmaceutical  Colleges  and  Associations.  {Am  jJaa.r"i8P76arm' 
Mr.  Thos.  D.  McElhenie  read  the  following  paper  : 
Linimentum  Iodoformi. — Having  frequent  occasion  lately  to  dispense  iodoform  for  topical  applica- 
tion, I  made  some  experiments  to  ascertain  the  best  solvent.  Without  detailing  all  the  results,  the  follow- 
ing is  offered.    Almond  oil  was  selected,  as  its  blandness  fits  it  for  application  to  inflamed  throats  : 
Take  of  Iodoform  
Camphor    aa  Si  3i 
01.  sassafras   5i 
01.  amygdali  dulc   §iv 
Powder  the  iodoform  and  camphor,  introduce  into  a  dry  vial,  add  the  oils,  and  heat  in  a  water-bath, 
shaking  frequently  until  dissolved.  The  camphor  has  the  property  of  increasing  the  solubility  of  iodo- 
form in  oils,  but  not  in  alcohol,  and,  with  the  essential  oil,  serves  to  cover  the  odor  to  which  some  persons 
object. 
Mr.  Wellcome  read  a  paper  on  the  action  of  solutions  of  molybdic  acid  and  mo- 
lybdates  in  sulphuric  acid,  as  tests  for  determining  the  presence  of  certain  organic 
bodies.  He  demonstrated  by  experiments  that  such  tests  were  unreliable  (see  page 
21 ).  He  also  presented  some  specimens  of  Grindelia  squarrosa,  which  he  had 
received  from  Dr.  Bundy,  of  California.  Another  species,  Grindelia  robusta,  has 
received  some  attention  as  an  antidote  for  poisoning  by  Rhus  toxicodendron^  and  on 
account  of  the  hypnotic  properties  ascribed  to  it  j  it  formed  the  subject  of  a  paper 
by  Mr.  Steele  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association. 
Grindelia  squarrosa  is  distinguished  from  that  plant  by  the  flower-head  being  more 
compact,  with  the  scalesmore  firm,  and  terminating  in  hard,  slender  and  spreading 
tips.    Its  medicinal  properties  are  said  to  be  similar  to  those  of  Gr.  robusta. 
Some  discussion  ensued  regarding  the  wafer  capsules  (cachet  de  pain),  which  are 
being  introduced  as  the  model  medium  for  administering  nauseous  powders.  All 
who  had  used  them  spoke  of  them  as  a  pleasing  thing  in  theory,  but  practically  a 
nuisance  rather  than  a  boon.  They  were  first  introduced  into  Paris  about  three 
years  ago,  and  seem  to  have  met  with  but  little  favor  in  Europe,  and  to  deserve  the 
same  here. 
Pharmaceutical  Society  of  Great  Britain — At  the  pharmaceutical  meet- 
ing held  November  3d,  President  T.  H.  Hills  in  the  chair,  a  paper  on  the  analysis 
of  cinchona  bark  was  read  by  Mr.  Edward  L.  Cleaver,  in  which  several  processes 
recommended  for  this  purpose  were  criticized,  and  a  new  process  suggested,  the 
essential  features  of  which  are  that  a  paste  of  100  grams  of  powdered  bark  and  25 
grams  of  slaked  lime  is  carefully  dried  and  then  exhausted  with  hot  methylated 
spirit,-  the  liquor  is  acidulated  with  sulphuric  acid,  the  spirit  distilled  off,  the 
remaining  liquid  filtered  and  evaporated  to  dryness  with  pure  carbonate  of  barium, 
the  residue  being  exhausted  with  alcohol,  which,  on  evaporation,  leaves  the  total 
amount  of  mixed  alkaloids ;  these  are  exhausted  with  ether,  the  solution  evaporated, 
the  alkaloids  dissolved  in  dilute  sulphuric  acid,  the  solution  heated  to  boiling,  and 
rendered  faintly  alkaline  by  caustic  soda,  when,  on  cooling,  sulphate  of  quinia  crys- 
tallizes out ;  the  mother-liquor  retains  one  part  of  the  same  salt  for  every  300  parts, 
by  measure,  of  the  liquid. 
In  the  discussion  following,  Dr.  Paul,  Messrs.  Linford  and  Umney,  Prof.  Red- 
wood and  Attfield  took  part,  some  sources  of  inaccuracies  being  pointed  out. 
Mr.  Nelson  T.  Carrington  read  a  paper  on  the  chemical  formula  of  commercial 
molybdate  of  ammonium,  which,  from  his  analyses,  he  assumes  to  be  NH4HMo04. 
