Am.  Jour.  Pharrn.  \ 
January,  1895.  J 
Ph  armaccutical  Meet  big . 
51 
A  paper  upon  Dilute  Hydrobrotnic  Acid,  by  Mr.  LaWall,  was  read  by  Pro- 
fessor Trimble.  It  elicited  some  discussion  as  to  the  best  method  of  preparing 
it.  Prof.  Trimble  stated  he  had  made  considerable  quantities  of  it  at  different 
times  and  with  uniformly  good  results,  by  using  Squibb's  process. 
Mr.  Beringer  said  he  thought  that  the  preferable  method  was  by  treating 
bromine  water  with  hydrogen  sulphide.  Mr.  Thompson  asked  the  proper 
strength,  and  the  reply  was  that  it  should  be  a  ten  per  cent,  solution. 
Mr.  England  read  a  paper  upon  the  Florida  Sponge  Industry,  by  Mr.  Wm. 
B.  Burk.  Mr.  Thompson  asked  whether  all  sponges  were  bleached,  and  Mr.  Han- 
cock wished  to  know  whether  sponges  were  cultivated  at  the  present  time 
in  Florida.  Mr.  England  said  that  Congress  had  been  asked  to  place  a  duty 
on  sponges,  and  Mr.  Burk  had  informed  him  that  there  was  in  Florida  a  sponge 
plantation  ;  and  it  was  stated  that  the  bleached  sheep  wool  sponge  was  not  as 
strong  as  the  unbleached. 
Mr.  Kebler  asked  what  was  the  limit  of  sand  and  insoluble  matter  ;  that  he  had 
seen  samples  with  as  much  as  26  per  cent,  of  refuse  matter  in  it.  Mr.  Beringer 
stated  that  he  had  found  as  much  as  50  per  cent,  of  sand  and  inorganic  matter 
that  could  be  beaten  out.  Mr.  Kebler  thought  that  there  should  be  a  standard 
of  maximum  of  foreign  matters  fixed,  so  that  dealers  could  know  what  to 
depend  on. 
A  paper  entitled  Laboratory  Notes,  by  Mr.  Kebler,  was  read. 
The  first  on  Pure  Delaware  Honey. 
Professor  Remington  stated  that  the  reason  honey  had  been  omitted  from 
certain  official  preparations,  was  the  great  variableness  even  in  honey  that 
was  really  pure  natural  honey. 
Mr.  Thompson  thought  it  is  not  to  be  found  in  commerce  of  a  standard 
quality,  but  although  genuine  it  may  be  of  variable  composition.  Mr.  Kebler 
asked  whether  bees  would  directly  store  honey.  Professor  Remington  said  he  had 
known  of  its  being  tried  successfully  provided  the  glucose  was  flavored  (not 
glucose  alone);  he  had  used  orange  flower  water  as  a  flavor,  and  they  readily 
stored  it;  the  bees,  however,  did  not  thrive,  as  they  needed  the  pollen  for  bee- 
bread,  and  they  also  required  exercise. 
(II)  Pyrogallic  Acid  was  also  a  subject  of  discussion. 
(III)  Oil  of  Wine. 
(IV)  Oil  of  Sassafras. 
Mr.  Beringer  thought  the  synthetical  oils  should  not  be  used  to  replace  those 
of  natural  origin,  as  they  generally  are  wanting  in  some  essential  constituent, 
and  more  oil  is  needed  to  accomplish  the  same  amount  of  flavoring. 
(V)  Ipecac  was  also  discussed.  These  papers  were  all  referred  to  the  Publica- 
tion Committee. 
Mr.  Thompson  presented  a  note  upon  Philadelphia  history,  written  some  years 
since  by  Thompson  Westcott,  giving  the  names  of  those  druggists  who  were 
contemporary  with  Henry  Troth,  and  were  influential  in  founding  our  College; 
among  the  names  appear  those  of  John  F.  Wetherill,  George  D.  Wetherill, 
Chas.  Wetherill,  and  Sam'l  P.  Wetherill,  Wm.  Lehman,  Peter  Lehman,  Alger- 
non S.  Roberts,  Alexander  Fullerton,  Jr.,  Daniel  B.  Smith,  Peter  Williamson, 
and  many  others  whose  names  are  still  in  the  memory  of  the  older  residents 
of  our  city.  T.  S.  WiEGAND, 
Registrar. 
