586  Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  {"^"nov 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
1883. 
ses,  1732.  Also  a  copy  of  some  illustrations  of  Barbadoes  plants,  by  Eliza- 
beth Pye.    These  works  were  from  the  library  of  Mr.  Parrish's  father. 
Professor  Maisch  presented  the  fourth  volume  of  the  Catalogue  of  the 
Library  of  the  Surgeon  General's  Oflflce.  The  Report  of  the  Smithsonian 
Institution  for  1881  was  also  received. 
Dr.  Wolff  read  a  paper  upon  Salicylate  of  Bismuth  (see  page  554),  giving 
a  process  by  which  the  salt  might  be  prepared.  The  paper  was  referred  to 
the  publishing  committee. 
Professor  Maisch  read  a  short  paper  upon  Tincture  of  Burdock  Fruit 
(Lappa  major),  by  Mr.  C.  A.  Heinitsh,  of  Lancaster  (see  page  569).  The 
paper  was  referred  for  publication.  Its  reading  gave  rise  to  some  discus- 
sion ;  Mr.  Hancock  stating  that  he  had  prepared  the  tincture,  and  it  had 
been  prescribed,  but  without  success.  Dr.  Wolff  was  of  the  opinion  that 
it  would  be  advantageous  when  prescribed  for  eczema,  which  was  a  conse- 
quence of  disordered  digestion,  and,  as  the  burdock  is  intensely  bitter,  it 
was  from  this  bitterness  and  its  tonic  powers  that  advantage  was  to  be 
derived. 
Dr.  A.  W.  Miller  exhibited  and  presented  to  the  College  cabinet  a  speci- 
men of  a  very  rare  variety  of  Asafcetida  imported  by  Dodge  &  Olcutt,  of 
New  York,  costing  to  import  nearly  75  cents  per  pound,  but  when  it  was 
received  was  found  to  be  so  entirely  different  from  asafcetida  of  commerce 
that  no  "sales  could  be  effected  ;  it  was  evidently  prepared  from  the  stalks 
and  leaves  of  the  plant  and  not  from  the  root ;  some  pieces  of  the  stems 
were  adherent  to  it.  Dr.  Miller  stated  that  the  natives  use  it  in  some  culi- 
nary operations  as  a  condiment;  it  is  far  more  repulsive  in  odor  than  asa- 
fcetida, having  an  old  leather  smell  in  addition  to  that  of  asafcetida. 
Mr.  Trimble  exhibited  samples  of  the  Oil  of  Sweet  Birch,  of  pure  methy- 
lic  alcohol,  quite  different  in  odor  from  the  wood  alcohol  of  commerce,  and 
also  a  specimen  of  salicylic  acid  prepared  from  the  oil  by  Mr.  Pettigrew. 
Professor  Maisch  stated  that  he  had  received  specimens  of  the  oil  of 
sweet  birch  (Betula  lenta)  and  also  oil  of  wintergreen  distilled  from  the 
herb ;  each  of  these  were  distilled  in  different  localities,  and  where  only 
one  of  the  species  grew,  so  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  have  them  sub- 
stituted for  each  other  ;  those  who  have  familiarized  themselves  with  the 
two  oils  recognize  a  difference,  which  is  quite  marked. 
Mr.  E.  M.  Boring  sent  a  little  apparatus  denominated  a  rod  holder, 
formed  of  two  discs  of  wood  perforated  with  a  number  of  holes  near  the 
edge  ;  between  the  two  wooden  disks  a  sheet  of  rubber  cloth  is  secured  and 
this  cloth  is  perforated,  where  exposed  by  the  openings  in  the  wooden 
discs,  with  oval  holes,  the  smaller  diameters  of  which  are  slightly  less  than 
the  rods  to  be  held;  the  friction  between  the  rod  and  rubber  is  just  ade- 
quate to  sustain  the  rods.  At  one  side  of  the  disc  a  little  iron  bracket  is 
secured,  with  which  the  apparatus  is  fastened  in  some  place  convenient  to 
the  prescription  counter  ;  it  is  the  invention  of  Mr.  W.  Hynson  Jennings, 
of  Baltimore. 
Professor  Maisch  exhibited  a  specimen  of  the  Stearopten  of  Oil  of  Patch- 
ouly.  This  was  presented  by  Mr.  Main  of  Messrs.  Tarrant^  &  Co.,  New 
York,  and  appears  to  be  little  known. 
Professor  Maisch  presented,  on  behalf  of  Mr.  Hans  M.  Wilder,  an  old 
