A^ptembe?fia895?' }     British  Pharmaceutical  Conference.  471 
THE  OIL  OF  SCOTCH  FIR,  AND  OTHER  PINE  OILS. 
By  John  C.  Umney. 
The  results  of  the  investigation  showed  that  (1)  the  rotation  of  true  oil  of 
Scotch  fir  {Pinus Sylvestris)  may  differ,  either  according  to  the  period  of  the 
year  at  which  the  material  for  distillation  has  been  collected,  or  to  the  condi- 
tions of  climate  and  soil  under  which  the  fir  has  grown,  although  it  should  not 
exceed  200  in  either  direction  in  a  100  mm.  tube  ;  (2)  that  the  specific  gravity 
of  the  oil  should  not  fall  below  '880  at  150  ;  (3)  that  a  very  considerable  por- 
tion should  distil  above  1850  ;  (4)  that  not  more  than  15  per  cent,  should  distil 
below  1700. 
The  other  pine  oils  examined  were  those  from  Abies  Canadensis,  Abies 
excelsa,  Picea  vulgaris  and  Pinus  pumilio. 
STERILIZED  SURGICAL  DRESSINGS. 
By  Edmund  White. 
The  author  suggested  that  the  sterilizer  should  be  modified  in  such  a  way  as 
to  prevent  the  water  which  collects  in  the  steam  pipe  from  being  blown  into 
the  apparatus  when  the  steam  is  first  turned  on .  A  perforated  plate  should  be 
placed  over  the  orifice  of  the  steam  pipe  where  it  enters  the  sterilizer,  so  as  to 
secure  the  even  distribution  of  the  steam.  The  pressure  in  the  sterilizer  should 
not  exceed  10  to  15  pounds  per  square  inch,  the  steam  being  turned  on  slowly, 
after  the  dressings  are  placed  in  position,  until  the  required  pressure  is 
attained.  In  conclusion,  attention  was  called  to  a  kind  of  cellulose  wadding, 
made  by  the  disintegration  of  pine  wood,  which  had  proved  very  satisfactory 
as  an  aseptic  dressing. 
THE  WEIGHTS  AND  MEASURES   OF  THE  BRITISH  PHARMACO- 
POEIA VERSUS  THE  METRIC  SYSTEM. 
By  William  Elborne. 
This  paper  was  a  summary  of  the  often  advanced  arguments  against  the 
introduction  of  the  metric  system. 
THE  VOLUMETRIC  SOLUTIONS  OF  THE  BRITISH  PHARMACOPOEIA. 
By  William  Elborne. 
It  was  pointed  out  by  the  author  that  the  official  volumetric  solutions  are,  as 
a  group,  not  entitled  to  the  designation  "standard  solutions,"  inasmuch  as  the 
generally  accepted  nomenclature  and  standard  of  chemical  equivalence  are  not 
uniformly  adopted  in  their  preparation. 
REMARKS  ON  THE  BRITISH  PHARMACOPOEIA,  WITH  REFERENCE 
TO  SECURING  THE  MORE  GENERAL  USE  OF  THE  WORK 
AND  RECOGNITION  OF  AN  IMPERIAL  CHARACTER. 
By  Charles  Symes. 
In  extending  the  scope  of  the  Pharmacopoeia,  it  is  necessary  to  bear  in  miud 
that  the  book  is  not  only  employed  in  all  British  possessions,  but  also  in  other 
places  under  British  influence.  In  Africa,  as  far  up  country  as  Johannesburg, 
pharmacy  is  practiced  much  the  same  as  at  home,  and  the  British  Pharmaco- 
poeia is  more  used  than  anv  other.  It  is  also  used  in  Brazil,  but  not  so  much 
as  the  French  Codex,  the  Formulario  e  Guia  Medica  of  Chernoviz  being  used 
more  than  either  of  them,  not  merely  because  it  is  published  in  the  Portuguese 
