/ 
40  ,         Pharmaceutical  Colleges  and  Associations,  {^"'jfn^/is^s.^''"'' 
researches  on  ceresin.  Paraffin  has  a  crystaUIne  texture,  but  ceresin  and  mineral 
wax  are  opaque  and  not  crystalline  j  the  former  is  completely  dissolved  by  ether, 
the  latter  incompletely,  leaving  a  residue  resembling  the  original  substance  in  appear- 
ance, and  fusing  between  80°  and  90°  C,  according  to  the  degree  of  purification- 
Mineral  wax  yields  23  per  cent,  of  a  carburet,  fusing  at  85°;  the  soluble  portion  is 
paraffin.  The  paraffin  examined  fused  at  53°,  ceresin  at  63°  and  mineral  wax  at  68° 
C.  Potassa  does  not  act  upon  mineral  wax  or  paraffin,  and  only  upon  3  per  cent, 
of  ceresin.  These  products  have  no  advantage  over  mineral  wax  j  the  absorption  of 
water  is  difficult,  if  not  impossible  \  but  blistering  plaster  and  pomades  acquire,  by 
mineral  wax,  a  hardness,  which  is  advantageous  in  summer  time. 
M.  Guichard  stated  that  dragon's  blood  in  reeds,  but  not  the  variety  in  balls  or 
cakes,  produces,  on  dry  distillation,  red  vapors  anologous  to  those  produced  by  cin- 
chona bark.    This  is  a  new  character,  which  may  prove  to  be  of  some  value. 
Pharmaceutical  Society  of  Great  Britain. — Mr.  T.  H.  Hills  presided  at 
the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting  held  December  2d,  at  which  numerous  donations  were 
made  to  the  Cabinet.  Professor  Bentley  exhibited  specimens  of  the  boldo-plant, 
Boldoa  fragranSy  s.,  Peumus  boldus,  ord.  Monimiaceae,  which  at  the  Botanic  Garden 
has  attained  the  height  of  12  feet.  The  leaves  and  young  branches  are  reputed  to 
possess  tonic  properties,  and  to  form  a  valuable  remedy  in  liver  complaints  j  in  large 
doses  it  acts  as  an  emetic.  Its  merits  as  a  medicine,  however,  are  not  yet  well  estab- 
lished, but  deserve  to  be  further  investigated.  The  leaves  contain  a  large  quantity 
of  a  volatile  oil,  and  their  odor,  when  rubbed,  somewhat  resembles  the  sweet  gale, 
Myrica  gale.    Mr.  Hills  likened  it  to  verbena. 
Mr.  Greenish  stated,  in  relation  to  amorphous  phosphorus,  the  uses  of  which  were 
discussed  at  the  previous  meeting  (see  page  586  of  December  number),  that  a  physi- 
cian had  discontinued  its  use,  owing  to  the  gritty  character  of  the  substance. 
A  paper,  by  Prof.  Goddefroy,  of  Vienna,  entitled,  "An  additional  method  of 
testing  glycerin,"  was  read.  Pure  glycerin  boils  in  an  open  crucible  at  150°  C,  and 
if  now  ignited,  burns  with  a  blue,  not  very  luminous  flame,  without  diffusing  the 
least  smell  or  leaving  behind  the  least  residue.  If  of  less  specific  gravity,  it  boils 
below  150°  C,  but  at  the  moment  of  boiling  it  cannot  be  ignited.  Metallic  salts,  if 
present,  will  remain  as  a  residue,  and  highly  organized  combinations  will  leave  a 
black  charred  or  soot-like  residue.  Glycerin  of  spec.  grav.  1249  to  1*256  can  easily 
be  ignited  by  means  of  a  wick,  and  on  extinguishing  the  flame  there  is  no  smell. 
Prof.  Attfield  regarded  this  as  a  rough-and-ready  test  for  glycerin  to  be  applied 
by  persons  who  do  not  know  much  about  chemistry.  Glycerin  containing  10  per 
cent,  of  water,  will  burn  by  the  aid  of  a  wick. 
Mr.  Moss  had  found  that  pure  glycerin  spec.  grav.  1-26,  will  give  off  a  few  bubbles 
when  heated  to  150°  C.  5  but  the  boiling  (if  boiling  it  be)  will  cease  at  once,  andthe 
temperature  rapidly  rises  to  230°  to  240°  C,  when  boiling  fairly  sets  in;  the  lowest 
temperature  at  which  the  escaping  vapor  could  be  ignited,  was  between  185°  and 
190°  C. 
Mr.  J.  B.  Barnes  read  a  paper  on  the  preservative  effect  of  chloroform  upon  veg^- 
etable  infusions,  &c.,  in  which  a  number  of  experiments  are  detailed,  showing  that  in- 
fusions of  calumba,  chiretta,  malt  and  senna  will  keep  good  for  a  reasonable  time 
