226         Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  {AmMJay,r'i8?6.rm' 
lege  of  Pharmacy,  etc."  And  "The  Little  Book  of  German,  a  High  School  Primer," 
by  C  C.  Schaeffer,  late  Professor  of  the  German  language  in  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania.  From  Geo.  W.  Kennedy,  Pottsville,  "  Cylindrical  Specimens  of 
Rock  Borings  from  the  Pennsylvania  Diamond  Drill  Company."  From  J.  U, 
Lloyd,  Cincinnati,  resin  of  podophyllum, — fluid  extract  gossypium  herbaceum 
from  fresh  bark,  crystals  from  prickley  ash  bark,  some  roots  illustrating  a  bale  of 
hydrastis  canadensis,  and  carbonate  of  potassium  which  had  been  sold  (probably 
by  mistake)  for  bromide  of  sodium.  In  regard  to  these  Mr.  Lloyd  writes  :  "  The 
resin  exists  in  podophyllum  peltatum,  and  is  distinguished  by  being  soluble  in  ether, 
while  that  prepared  by  the  U.  S.  P.  will  but  partially  dissolve  in  this  menstruum. 
It  is  being  experimented  with  to  ascertain  its  value  as  a  medicinal  agent. 
"The  crystalline  substance  marked  from  '  prickley  ash  bark1  is  a  proximate  or- 
ganic substance  which  exists  in  considerable  amount  in  the  barks  of  xanthoxylum 
fraxineum.  It  has  never  been  experimented  with  as  a  medicine  that  I  am  aware  of. 
It  is  tasteless,  colorless,  insoluble  in  cold  water,  very  slightly  soluble  in  boiling  water  j 
somewhat  in  cold  alcohol  ;  quite  soluble  in  boiling  alcohol.  Nitric  acid  turns  it  yellow, 
and  dissolves  a  small  amount,  turning  yellow.  Sulphuric  acid  dissolves  it  freely, 
forming  a  beautiful  transparent  deep-red  solution;  water  added  to  the  solution  pro- 
duces a  white  precipitate;  the  liquid  in  which  it  is  suspended  is  colorless.  The 
precipitate  presents  the  exact  properties  of  the  original  substance.  At  2120  F.  the 
sulphuric  acid  solution  decomposes,  sulphurous  acid  being  evolved  freely  and  a 
black  precipitate  formed.  :  When  water  is  added  and  the  mixture  thrown  on  a  filter* 
the  filtrate  passes  colorless.  It  will  not  reduce  an  alkaline  solution  of  sulphate  of 
copper.  When  boiled  with  dilute  sulphuric  acid,  and  tested  for  glucose,  there  is  no 
reaction  with  the  copper  solution.  It  will  not  form  salts  with  dilute  acids.  Solu- 
tion of  caustic  potassa  does  not  seem  to  affect  it. 
"The  fluid  extract  of  gossypium  is  a  specimen  of  160  bottles  I  have  distri- 
buted to  practicing  physicians  in  our  hospitals  and  over  the  country.  I  trust  to  be 
able  to  learn  something  definite  in  regard  to  the  preparation  to  present  in  my  report 
to  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association." 
"  A  lot  of  about  500  lbs.  of  hydrastis  canadensis  was  recently  offered  for  sale  in 
Cincinnati.  Upon  examination,  it  proved  to  be  about  half  beth  root  (trillium  pen- 
dulum) ;  while  mixed  throughout  the  entire  mass  was  serpentaria,  cypripedium, 
sanguiniaria,  may-apple  and  other  substances.  The  question  is:  'Can  njje  ever  do 
avjay  voith  this  loose  business  Will  there  ever  be  a  universal  demand  for  prime 
indigenous  botanical  medicines?  Must  those  who  will  furnish  good  medicinal  roots 
and  barks  be  compelled  to  compete  with  traffickers  of  this  description?  The  above 
example  is  but  one  of  many." 
Prof.  Remington  read  a  paper  on  "a  singular  reaction  in  a  prescription"  (see 
page  211).  The  Professor  had  continnued  his  experiments,  and  the  opinion  ex- 
pressed at  the  last  meeting  was  confirmed.  The  presence  of  some  free  acid  is  neces- 
sary, and  if  neutralized,  the  color  will  disappear  ;  the  green  color  is  due  to  the 
yellow  color  of  the  syrup,  and  to  the  blue  of  the  tannin  and  iron  reaction. 
Prof.  Maisch  exhibited  a  sample  of  belladonna  ointment,  which,  at  the  house  of  the 
patient,  had  separated  into  a  bright,  pale-green  lower  layer,  the  upper  stratum  be- 
ing of  a  brownish  color.  It  had,  probably,  been  subjected  to  changes  in  temperature. 
