54  Pharmaceutical  Colleges  and  Associations,  {^^'/e^n^'^sd^^" 
enactment  of  a  Pharmacy  law  have  thus  far  been  unsuccessful,  but  will  be- 
renewed.  The  president  is  Mr.  F.  Senior,  and  the  secretary,  Mr.  W.  T. 
Pinhey. 
Pharmaceuticaij  Society  of  Great  Britain. — At  the  evening  meet- 
ing, held  December  6th,  the  president,  M.  Carteighe  in  the  chair,  a  paper 
by  W.  A.  Shenstone  on  the  crystalline  constituent  of  JafTerabad  aloes  was 
read,  showing  that  this  aloin  is  identical  with  the  principles  of  Zanzibar 
and  Socotrine  aloes.    The  paper  will  be  published  in  our  next  number. 
A  very  interesting  j^aj^er  on  spurious  and  adulterated  drugs  was  read  by 
Mr.  E.  M.  Holmes.  Accidental  admixtures  may  take  place  through  igno- 
rance or  carelessness  in  collecting,  drying,  or  handling  of  drugs.  Unknown 
drugs  are  occasionally  sent  into  the  market  from  foreign  countries,  and 
when  proving  unsalable  on  account  of  being  unknown,  are,  in  London, 
put  up  to  auction  under  the  names  of  those  drugs  which  they  most  nearly 
resemble.  Spurious  drugs  are  often  purchased  at  a  low  price  by  continen- 
tal dealers  known  as  "mixers,"  and  after  being  mixed  with  genuine 
drugs  are  sent  back  with  the  view  of  underselling  dealers  in  the  legitimate 
article.  The  term  "  adulterated  drugs  "  may  be  limited  to  those  in  whicli 
there  is  evidence  of  an  intent  to  defraud — 
1.  By  the  addition  of  any  substance  of  less  value  to  increase  the  weighty 
such  as  the  addition  of  sulphate  of  barium  to  cochineal  and  saffron. 
2.  By  the  admixture  of  cheaper  drugs  having  a  great  similarity  of  appear- 
ance, e.  g.,  marshmallow  with  belladonna  root;  arnica  with  the  flowers  of 
Imda  britannica  ("American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,"  1882,  p.  458).  A 
year  or  two  ago  white  ipecacuanha,  lonidium  Ipecacuanha  was  offered  in. 
the  London  market  and  has  apparently  found  its  way  to  France,  where  it 
has  been  used  for  the  purpose  of  adulterating  senega,  as  reported  in  the 
November  number  of  the  "  Repertoire  de  Pharmacie." 
8.  By  the  addition  of  a  coloring  matter  to  enhance  the  value,  e.  g.^  ani- 
line dyes  to  rose  leaves,  as  reported  by  Mr.  T.  E.  Greenish  in  1881. 
4.  By  the  exhaustion  of  their  active  principles  before  being  offered  for 
sale  as  the  genuine  article,  such  as  j^tlap,  dej^rived  of  resin.  Ipecacuanha 
of  a  darker  appearance  and  cleaner  surface  than  is  observed  in  the  ordi- 
nary drug,  has  been  noticed  by  Mr.  Holmes;  it  had  been  mouldy,  was 
washed  and  dried  and  seemed  to  contain  little  emetine. 
Mr.  Holmes  also  called  attention  to  the  facts  that  when  an  adulterated 
drug  is  made  known  in  one  country  it  soon  appears  in  another,  and  that 
the  publication  of  cases  of  adulteration  of  drugs  is  not  sufficient  to  act  as  a 
deterrent;  this  was  shown  to  be  the  case  with  saffron,  which,  in  1869,  was 
observed  in  France  to  be  adulterated  with  12  per  cent,  of  mineral  matter, 
while  similar  adulterations,  occasionally  amounting  to  40  per  cent.,  were 
noticed  since  1870  in  England  and  the  United  States,  1874  in  Germany,  and 
1879  in  Russia. 
A  lengthy  discussion  followed  the  reading  of  this  paper,  in  which  it  was 
shown  that  through  such  exposures  and  in  consequence  of  proper  educa- 
tion, adulterations  had  become  less  frequent  than  formerly. 
A  paper  by  W.  A.  H.  Naylor  and  J.  O.  Braithwaite  was  read,  in  whicht 
