540  Minutes  of  the  College.  {"""^-oa^is^r""' 
press  it  flat ;  the  weight  of  the  head  or  lid  is  usually  sufficient  to  make  a 
tight  joint  by  somewhat  compressing  the  hose. 
Prof.  Lloyd's  paper  on  Extract  of  Malt  (see  i:)age  484)  elicited  the  remark 
from  Mr.  Ebert,  that  extract  of  malt  as  originally  understood  contained  no 
diastase  and  was  intended  only  to  be  a  vehicle  similar  to  other  saccharine 
liquids.  The  presence  of  diastase  was  a  quite  recent  requirement,  and  as 
the  process  recommended  by  Prof.  Lloyd  could  be  without  difficulty  used 
by  pharmacists,  further  observations  were  deemed  desirable  by  several 
members. 
Mr.  Feemster's  paper  on  Caffeine  in  Commercial  Powdered  Guarana  is  a 
continuation  of  the  subject  reported  on  last  year.  The  amount  of  caffeine 
in  five  samples  varied  between  4*3  and  5  per  cent.,  the  average  being  4  72 
per  cent.,  or  somewhat  higher  than  the  crude  guaranas  previously  exam- 
ined, which  is  possibly  due  to  the  drying  of  guarana  before  powdering. 
Pharmaceutical  Notes,  by  J.  W.  Colcord,  discussed  the  styptic  effects  of 
the  leaves  of  Plantago  major,  which  are  regarded  as  being  of  sufficient 
value  to  demand  attention.  Thapsia  plaster  was  found  very  serviceable 
when  used  as  a  bandage  in  several  painful  affections.  Olycerin  was  found 
very  useful  for  preventing  crystallization  in  strained  honey,  one  ounce 
being  used  for  \\  lb.  of  honey. 
A  paper  by  C.  W.  Phillips  on  the  nature  of  the  precipitate  in  tincture 
of  Boletus  laricis,  accompanied  by  microscopical  drawings,  is  a  preliminary 
report,  which  will  be  followed  by  further  investigations  to  be  reported  next 
year.  The  jDaper  gives  a  pretty  complete  history  of  the  chemical  investiga- 
tions of  this  drug. 
The  Committee  on  Unofficinal  Formulas  was  constituted  as  follows :  J. 
W.  Colcord,  Lynn,  Mass.;  Jas.  T.  Shinn,  Philadelphia;  Chas.  Becker, 
Washington  ;  S.  A.  D.  Sheppard,  Boston  ;  C.  L.  Keppler,  New  Orleans ; 
N.  H.  Jennings,  Baltimore ;  J.  D.  Wells,  Cincinnati;  A.  Vogeler,  Chicago; 
Emlen  Painter,  San  Francisco;  W.  H.  Alexander,  St.  Louis. 
A  committee  of  five  was  directed  to  be  appointed  to  visit  the  Wholesale 
Druggists'  Association  at  the  meeting  in  New  York. 
Resolutions  of  thanks  were  offered  and  passed  to  the  Officers  and  Coun- 
cil ;  to  the  Local  Secretary,  Mr.  Chas.  Becker;  to  the  Committee  on  Enter- 
tainment; to  Prof.  F.  W.  True,  Acting  Director  of  the  National  Museum  ; 
to  Dr.  J.  M.  Flint,  Superintendent  of  the  Department  of  Materia  Medica; 
to  the  Press,  and  to  the  pharmacists  of  Washington  and  their  ladies. 
The  Association  then  adjourned,  and  in  the  afternoon  embarked  on  the 
steamer  "  Mary  Washington,''  for  a  sail  on  the  Potomac  river  and  a  visit  to 
Mount  Vernon,  the  entertainment  having  been  tendered  by  the  pharma- 
cists of  Washington. 
MINUTES  OF  THE  COLLEGE. 
The  semi-annual  meeting  of  the  College  was  held  September  24th,  1883, 
at  the  College  Hall,  on  Tenth  street.  Dillwyn  Parrish,  President,  occupied 
the  chair.    22  members  were  in  attendance. 
The  minutes  of  the  meeting  in  June  last  were  read,  and,  on  motion, 
adopted. 
