i88 
Editorial, 
{Am.  Jour.  Pharm 
April,  1876. 
The  subject  of  ointments  was  discussed  at  some  length  in  relation  to  a  suitable 
substitute  for  lard  or  simple  ointment.  Mr.  Ritter  (of  the  class  of  1876,  present 
on  this  occasion),  had  found  a  combination  of  white  wax  and  castor  oil  to  be  not 
readily  impaired,  and  furnishing  a  good  substitute  for  compounds  very  susceptible 
to  change.  Glycerite  of  starch  and  glycerin,  solidified  with  gelatin,  were  also 
discussed  in  this  connection. 
Mr.  Wellcome  reported  the  case  of  Hon.  L.  Porter,  of  Minnesota,  who  drank 
from  a  bottle  supposed  to  contain  currant  wine,  but  when  too  late  discovered  that 
he  had  taken  a  draught  of  solution  of  corrosive  sublimate,  kept  for  killing  bed-bugs, 
and  containing  about  15  grains  of  the  poison.  The  administration  of  white  of 
eggs,  lard,  &c,  under  the  direction  of  skilled  physicians,  proved  unavailing,  and  the 
patient  died  after  five  days1  suffering. 
Massachusetts  College  of  Pharmacy. — At  the  annual  meeting,  held  March 
6th,  the  following  officers  were  elected  :  President,  Samuel  M.  Colcord  5  Vice-Pres- 
idents— Charles  A.  Tufts,  Thomas  L.  Jenks  5  ^Corresponding  Secietary,  George  F. 
H.  Markoe;  Recording  Secretary,  Daniel  G.  Wilkins;  Treasurer,  E.  L.  Patch  j 
Auditor,  W.  S.  Folger ;  Trustees — James  S.  Melvin,  Henry  W.  Lincoln,  B.  F. 
Stacy,  I.  T  Learey,  I.  B.  Patten,  Henry  Canning,  S.  C.  Tozzer  and  George  H. 
Cowdin.  The  affairs  of  the  College  were  reported  to  be  in  a  good  condition.  A 
new  charter  has  just  been  obtained  from  the  Legislature. 
The  St.  Louis  College  of  Pharmacy  held  its  tenth  annual  commencement 
March  23,  when  President  F.  X.  Crawley  conferred  the  degree  of  Graduate  in 
Pharmacy  upon  the  following  gentlemen  :  Flor.  C.  Schmidt,  Robt.  Hunstock,  A. 
Ph.  Kaltwasser,  J.  N.  Washington,  F.  Westmann,  O.  E.  H.  Truetler,  L.  Ries- 
meyer,  Chas.  Luedeking,  N.  Guhmann,  Jr.,  Paul  Nake,  Gust.  Brandau,  H.  Schwarz, 
Herm.  Brandt,  Jr.,  and  H.  Harnisch. 
Prizes  were  awarded  by  Prof.  Good,  and  valedictories  delivered  by  Prof.  Fay  on 
behalf  of  the  faculty,  and  by  Mr.  Washington  on  behalf  of  the  class. 
The  graduates  were  then  received  by  the  Alumni  Association,  and  the  exercises 
terminated  with  an  oration  by  Francis  Hemm,  Ph.G. 
EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 
The  Asserted  Presence  of  Tannin  in  Gentian  Root. — In  a  paper  bearing 
this  caption,  published  in  our  last  number,  we  took  occasion  to  refer  to  the  report 
on  a  paper  read  before  the  Massachusetts  College  of  Pharmacy,  from  which  we 
were  led  to  infer  that  the  assertion  concerning  the  presence  of  tannin  in  gentian 
was  mainly  based  on  the  incompatibility  of  the  tincture  of  chloride  of  iron  and 
compound  tincture  of  gentian.  Mr.  E.  L.  Patch  has  kindly  sent  us  the  paper  read 
by  him,  from  which  it  is  evident  that  the  report  referred  to  above  was  very  incom- 
plete, and  that  the  experiments  with  gentian  alone  were  in  reality  the  most  impor- 
tant of  his  investigations,  the  results  of  which  agree  entirely  with  those  related  in 
our  last  number.    Mr.  Patch  had  not  overlooked  the  fact  that  orange  peel  produces 
