572 
Editorial. 
<  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\      Dec,  1876. 
substances,  such  as  meat,  etc.  Perrenoud  explains  its  preservative  action  by  the 
neutralization  of  the  organic  bases  which  are  formed  on  the  putrefaction  of  animal 
■matter,  and  by  the  prevention  of  such  a  change. 
The  Apothecaries'  Society  of  Berlin,  at  its  session,  held  October  24th, 
ilistened  to  a  discourse  by  Mr.  Holtz,  on  the  Centennial  Exposition  at  Philadelphia. 
Dr.  Schacht  proposed  as  basis  for  bougies  and  suppositories  a  mass  consisting  of 
so  parts  glycerin,  25  water  and  6  gelatin. 
A  curious  substitution  for  black  pepper  was  shown,  introduced  in  consequence 
of  its  high  price ;  it  consisted  of  cubebs  which  had  been  completely  deprived  of 
ttheir  stalks. 
EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT 
The  Journal  closes  with  the  present  number  its  forty-eighth  volume.  During 
the  year  which  is  about  to  close,  as  in  former  years,  it  has  been  a  welcome  visitor  to 
many  pharmacists  at  home  and  abroad,  and  we  trust  will  hereafter  not  only  continue 
to  number  them  amongst  its  readers,  but  will  likewise  make  many  new  friends.  Our 
friend  and  colleague,  the  Business  Editor,  reminds  us,  however,  that  the  publication 
of  the  Journal  requires  monthly  a  considerable  outlay,  and  that  a  number  of  our 
readers  have — perhaps  in  the  pressure  of  business — omitted  to  make  the  usual 
annual  returns.  We  are  sure  that  it  needs  only  this  gentle  hint  to  recall  the  unpaid 
bills  to  their  minds  and  to  remit  promptly  the  arrears  not  only,  but  likewise,  if  the 
money  can  be  spared  before  the  holidays — and  we  imagine  the  Journal  to  be  a 
very  good  holiday  present — the  subscription  price  for  the  ensuing  volume.  Most 
of  our  readers,  we  are  glad  to  say,  bear  in  mind  our  mutual  obligations  ;  the  few  who 
ihave  overlooked  one  side  of  the  question,  will  doubtless  follow  their  example. 
Our  readers  are  aware  that  the  pages  of  the  Journal  are  open  for  the  discussion 
of  all  subjects  having  a  pharmaceutical  interest,  and  we  bespeak  for  the  next  volume 
as  many  original  communications  as  we  had  the  pleasure  to  receive  before. 
It  should  be  stated  yet  that  for  the  essays  published  on  pages  544.  to  549  we  are 
indebted  to  the  Pharmaceutical  Journal  and  'Transactions  (London),  September  30th. 
Sweet  Gum. —On  page  335  of  the  July  number  we  gave  some  information 
•obtained  from  Mr.  L.  Hughes,  Dyersburg,  Tenn.,  of  some  of  the  uses  to  which  this 
exudation  of  Liquidambar  styraciflua  is  put.  In  another  communication  the  same 
correspondent  states  that  he  has  employed  its  solution  in  ether,  in  which  it  dissolved 
rapidly  and  entirely,  for  the  purpose  of  cutting  the  mercury  in  preparing  mercurial 
ointment.  Mixed  with  a  little  fixed  oil  of  almonds  it  acted  admirably,  the  mercury 
being  extinguished  in  a  short  time.  Our  correspondent  remarks  that,  in  his  opinion, 
the  "  sweet  gum  "  would  answer  all  the  purposes  of  the  more  expensive  tolu  balsam, 
and  that  it  can  be  obtained  for  about  $1  per  pound. 
