Amslp^*i87h6.rm"}  Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  431 
Self-preservation  of  Grapes  in  Spirit.  The  Consequence  of  the  manner 
of  Existence  of  Cells  out  of  contact  with  the  Air.  By  G.  Missaghi.— 
The  author  found  that  some  grapes  which  had  been  left  for  a  considerable  tirrre 
(eight  months)  in  an  atmosphere  of  carbonic  anhydrid  confined  over  mercury  did 
not  decompose,  but  that  acetic  acid,  formic  acid,  and  alcohol  were  produced,  a 
small  cavitv  which  was  formed  where  the  stalk  is  inserted  into  the  fruit  being  rilled 
with  the  liquid.  The  rest  of  the  grapes  remained  in  the  normal  condition,  but  their 
!flavor  was  similar  to  that  of  fruit  which  had  been  kept  for  a  longtime  in  s'trong 
alcohol.— Ibid.,  from  ibid.,  v,  421 — 422. 
Determination  of  Sulphuric  Acid  and  Soluble  Sulphates  by  means  of 
Standard  Solutions.  By  M.  H.  Pellet. — The  author  first  precipitates  the  sulphuric 
acjd  by  chloride  of  barium  in  excess,  precipitates  the  excess  of  chloride  of  barium 
with  yellow  chromate  of  potash,  and  finally  determines  the  chromate  with  standard 
solutions  of  protochloride  of  iron  and  permanganate  of  potash. — Chem.  Nevus,. 
July  7th. 
New  Process  for  the  Manufacture  of  Dextrin.  By  M.  Anthon  [Dingl. 
Pol.  Journ.) — At  present  fecula  in  the  separate  state  is  exclusively  employed  in  the 
preparation  of  dextrin,  all  that  portion  being  wasted  which  is  retained  by  the  fibrous 
part  of  the  potato  or  of  the  bran.  To  prevent  this  loss'  the  author  recommends  the 
use  of  the  entire  potato  dried  and  ground  after  being  freed  from  its  soluble  princi- 
ples by  washing  in  acidulated  or  alkaline  water.  The  fecula  thus  obtained  is 
sprinkled  with  hydrofluosilicic  acid  (0-5  to  1  per  cent,  of  the  weight  of  the  fecula)  ; 
it  is  then  placed  in  a  drying-room  at  3 8°  to  44°C.  till  there  is  no  further  loss  of  weight ; 
the  temperature  is  then  raised  to  700  to  750  till  no  loss  occurs,  and  finally  to  900. 
The  desiccation  being  thus  complete  the  fecula,  whilst  still  hot,  is  placed  in  large 
flat  sheet-iron  troughs  which  are  introduced  into  large  stoves  heated  to  ioo°to  1250. 
The  transformation  into  dextrin  is  known  to  be  complete  when  a  sample  taken  out, 
on  being  cooled  and  moistened  with  cold  water,  adheres  together  in  little  glassy 
globules. —  Chem.  News,  June  23,  1876. 
MINUTES  OF  THE  PHARMACEUTICAL  MEETING, 
A  'pharmaceutical  meeting  was  held  August  15th,  1876,  Edward  Gaillard  in  the 
chair.  '  The  minutes  of  the  previous  meeting  were  read  and  corrected  so  as  to 
'  read,  "  a  stone  jar  in  which  balsam  of  Peru  was  imported,  was  presented  by  Cramer 
&  Small."  '     -  '■ 
Prof.  Maisch  presented,  from  J.  W.  Lloyd,  a  specimen  of  willow — Salix  Muhlen- 
bergiana,  a  large  amount  of  which  was  attempted  recently  to  be  thrown  upon  the 
market  as  epilobium  augustifolium  ;  the  fraud  was  happily  discovered  before  it 
reached  the  hands  of  persons  unacquainted  with  the  herb.  A  herbarium  Specimen 
of  epilobium  was  exhibited  for  comparison,  and  attention  called  to  Gray's  descrip- 
tion of  this  species'of  ' willow  as  S.' htimilis. ....   
Prof.  Maisch  read 'a  paper  entitled  Notes'  on  the  Genus  Teucrium  5  also  one  on 
'Fuciis  Vesiculosus  and  other  allidd  species  ('see- pages  392  and  395)  and  dried  spec- 
imens and  colored  illustrationsof  the  plants  described  in  the  two  paper's  were  shown 
to  the  members.  ' '  '  ~ /     ~"  ■    -  -  '  .    '      '  ' 
Prof.  Remington  exhibited  HilTs  Consecutive  Numbering  Machine,  and,;  illus- 
trated its  method  of  working  He  had  examined  several  appliance's  of  this  kind 
with  the  view  of  numbering  prescriptions  .so  as  to  avoid  duplications,  and  believed 
this   one   to   possess  some  advantages  over   others.    It  can  be   started  at  any 
