Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  87 
MINUTES  OF  THE  PHARMACEUTICAL  MEETING, 
The  fourth  meeting  of  the  session  was  held  January  19th,  1875,  I^r.  Wilson  H. 
Pile  in  the  chair ;  number  in  attendance,  forty-five.  The  minutes  of  the  previous 
meeting  were  read  and  approved. 
J.  T.  Shinn  presented  to  the  library,  on  behalf  of  Thomas  H.  McAllister,  four 
volumes  of  the  "American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,"  and  a  copy  of  the  General  Index 
published  in  1850,  which  were  received  with  the  thanks  of  the  College. 
Prof.  Maisch,  from  the  collection  of  the  late  Prof.  Procter,  presented  Penghaivar 
Djambi,  portions  of  the  stipes,  with  the  hair-like  chaff  still  attached,  of  ferns  from 
the  East  Indian  islands,  the  hairs  being  used  as  a  haemostatic,  acting  mechanically  \ 
also,  from  Dr.  J,  W.  Eckfeldt,  a  portion  of  the  large  root  of  Populus  monilifera^  from 
Delaware  County,  Pa.,  where  it  is  grown  as  a  shade-tree.  It  is  very  evident  that  the 
false  cotton-root  bark,  described  in  the  January  number  of  the  "Journal,"  is  not 
•derived  from  this  species. 
R.  V.  Mattison  presented  a  handsome  specimen  of  true  cotton-root  bark,  from 
Wallace  Bros.  &  Stephenson,  of  Statesville,  N.  C.  j  and  Mr.  Blair,  six  samples  of 
cotton-root  bark,  one  of  which  was  from  Boston,  being  the  true  root-bark,  with 
some  stem-bark  j  one  from  Baltimore,  similar  in  appearance;  one  from  New  York, 
almost  free  from  stem-bark,  and  three  from  Philadelphia,  one  of  which  was  in  fine 
powder,  another  cut  and  containing  considerable  stem-bark,  while  the  third  was 
mixed  with  plenty  of  wood. 
Three  samples  of  fluid  extract  of  cotton-root  bark  were  shown  by  Mr.  Blair  5  one 
from  a  well-known  house  in  this  city,  and  another  from  his  own  store,  made  one 
year  ago.  Both  had  the  characteristic  red  color  of  this  fluid  extract,  while  the  third 
was  more  of  a  greenish-brown  color,  caused  by  heat  being  used  in  a  part  of  the  pro- 
cess, which  seemed  to  entirely  destroy  the  red  color. 
Prof.  Maisch  had  prepared  tinctures  of  both  the  true  and  false  bark,  that  of  the 
latter  being  destitute  of  the  peculiar  red  color.  David  Preston  had  prepared  the 
fluid  extract,  and  two  samples  were  shown,  both  being  of  the  characteristic  red  color. 
Dr.  A.  W.  Miller  presented  specimens  of  glucose,  of  American  manufacture. 
Commercially,  the  term  glucose  is  applied  to  the  liquid  form,  and  grape  sugar  to  the 
solid.  The  samples  shown  are  both  of  good  quality,  and  will  compare  favorably 
with  the  imported  article.  They  are  made  from  corn  starch,  by  the  well-known 
process  with  sulphuric  acid.  Glucose  i§  largely  used  by  brewers  as  a  substitute  for 
imalt.  A  very  handsome  specimen  of  white  grape  sugar,  of  American  manufac- 
ture, was  shown,  and  stated  to  have  been  made  from  wheat  starch. 
J.  L.  Lemberger,  of  Lebanon,  Pa.,  presented  yellow  beeswax,  of  unexceptional 
quality,  purified,  by  himself,  by  filtration  through  paper.  With  proper  arrangements, 
fifty  pounds  of  wax  may  readily  be  filtered  in  a  day. 
Dr.  A.  W.  Miller  called  attention  to  what  he  believed  to  be  pure  oil  of  Ceylon 
cinnamon,  obtained  by  him  through  a  reliable  source,  the  price  being  much  beyond 
the  ordinary  quotations  for  this  oil. 
The  Chairman  asked  for  information  as  to  the  difference  between  light  and  heavy 
oil  of  Ceylon  cinnamon,  which  are  quoted  at  different  prices. 
