278  Minutes  of  the  Fharmdceutical  Meeting,  {^'^^^y'^'ilsi'''^ 
Association.  From  Mr.  Henry  Cramer,  "  Pharmacopoea  Wirtembergica,"^ 
published  in  1786 ;  an  engraving  of  Dr.  Pareira  and  one  of  Linnaeus,  and  a 
specimen  of  oil  of  cajeput ;  said  oil  was  presented  to  Capt.  E.  M.  Donaldson 
by  the  Governor  of  Java  in  1806,  by  him  given  to  Mr.  Cramer  in  1852,  and 
by  the  latter  gentleman  kept  ever  since.  It  is  peculiar  in  being  of  a  brown 
color  and  not  the  green  shade  which  is  characteristic  of  the  oil  of  cajeput  of 
commerce.  From  Messrs.  Rosengarten  &  Sons,  several  Brazilian  drugs 
marked  as  follows :  Abutua,  said  to  be  a  powerful  tonic ;  Herua  Lanceta 
and  Herva  Capitad^  each  supposed  to  contain  morphine  ;  Pao  pcrcira 
(casca),  very  bitter  and  a  powerful  tonic:  Guaranham^  a  very  astringent 
bark  used  in  Europe  for  making  monesia. 
l^rofessor  Maisch  remarked  that  the  small  sx)ecimen  marked  abutua,  was 
evidently  the  root  and  lower  stem  of  a  menispermaceous  plant,  closely 
related  to  or  identical  with  pareira  brava;  the  bark  marked  guaranham  was 
identical  with  the  bark  which  in  Euroj^ean  connnerce  is  known  as  cortex 
monemce  and  is  referred  to  Chrysophylluni  glyciphkBum,  Casaretti ;  the 
bark  marked  pao  pereira  was  obtained  from  Geissospermum  Iseve,  BaUlon, 
and  contained  two  alkaloids,  at  least  one  of  which  had  been  found  to  possess 
toxic  properties;  herva  lanceta  was  referred  in  a  Brazilian  book  to  Solidago 
vulneraria  (author's  name  not  given)  ;  herva  capitad  was  probably  identical 
with  the  herhe  capitainc  mentioned  some  time  ago  in  a  French  journal,, 
and  referred  to  a  species  of  Hydrocotyle,  and  to  which  diuretic  and  deob- 
struent  j^roperties  were  ascribed. 
Professor  Maisch  exhibited  a  specimen  of  lint  made  by  Messrs.  Seabury 
<fc  Johnson,  who  claim  that  it  is  the  first  American  made  lint,  and  that  it  is 
more  absorbent,  flutlier  and  lighter  than  any  other  make,  can  be  torn 
readily,  and  is  more  reasonable  in  price. 
Dr.  Wolff,  of  the  committee  appointed  in  February,  read  two  notes  on 
UHgucntum  hydrargyri  nitratiii  and  on  f  iiicturc  of  iodine  (see  page  231),  the 
experiments  detailed  therein  having  been  made  under  his  supervision. 
The  communications  were  referred  for  i^ublication  and  the  committee  was 
discharged. 
Professor  Maisch  remarked  that  the  specimens  submitted  on  a  former 
occasion,  and  another  prepared  by  a  member  of  the  College  did  not  attack 
iron  spatulas,  while  those  made  by  the  committee  corroded  iron;  this  result 
might  arise  from  a  ditlerence  in  the  strength  of  the  nitric  acid. 
Mr.  Gustavus  Pile,  at  the  request  of  the  meeting  in  March,  exhibited 
lactometers  and  described,  the  method  of  using  them.  The  thanks  of  the 
meeting  were  tendered  to  Mr.  Pile,  and  he  was  requested  to  embody  his 
remarks  upon  milk  examination  in  a  paper  for  the  Journal  (see  page  244). 
Mr.  Trimble  stated  that  the  cream  did  not  always  rise  in  six  hours,  but 
that  in  twelve  hours  the  whole  of  the  cream  would  rise  to  the  surface;  a 
slight  addition  of  water  to  good  milk  would  cause  the  cream  to  rise  more 
rapidly,  and  thus,  if  examined  in  six  hours,  might  induce  the  imiDression 
that  the  mixture  of  milk  and  water  was  better  than  the  pure  milk. 
Mr.  Thompson  considered  a  simple  method  for  testing  the  quality  of  milk 
to  be  greatly  needed ;  the  atrocity  of  its  adulteration  became  apparent,, 
when  the  extensive  use  of  cow's  milk  as  food  for  infants  was  considered^, 
whose  lives  were  endangered  by  diluted  and  otherwise  adulterated  milk. 
