^'"'Fer'is^s.''''"'}  Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  89 
the  mature  heads  of  Dipsacus  Fullonum,  Mill. ,  native  of  Europe,  and  sometimes  cul- 
tivated for  the  use  of  the  clothiers,  who  employ  the  heads  with  their  hard,  recurved 
bracts,  to  raise  the  nap  upon  woolen  cloth. 
Dr.  Pile  had  repeated  Prof.  Goddefroy's  test  for  glycerin  [see  "  Amer.  Journ. 
Pharm.,"  1875,  P-  40)  with  that  of  Price,  Bower  and  Hartman,  Laist  &  Co.  The 
residues  in  each  case  were  shown,  and  seem  to  be  very  nearly  alike. 
It  was  stated  in  answer  to  inquiry  that  Trommer's  test,  with  the  addition  of  tar- 
taric acid,  was  a  ready  test  for  glucose  in  glycerin. 
Mr.  Blair  read  the  following  letter  in  reference  to  a  subject  mentioned  at  the  pre- 
ceding meeting : 
Philadelphia,  December  21st,  1874. 
Messrs.  H.  C.  Blair's  Sons,  cor.  Eighth  and  Walnut  streets.  City  : 
Gentlemen, — I  received  your  favor  of  the  17th  instant  at  Washington,  and  brought  the  matter  to  the 
attention  of  Mr.  Kimball,  who  has  charge  of  this  Department,  and  to  whom  such  matters  are  generally 
referred  by  the  Commissioner  of  Internal  Revenue.  He  read  the  letter  carefully,  and  seemed  to  be  in 
entire  accord  with  you.  He  stated  to  me  that  the  wishes  of  the  Department  will  be  fully  met  if  the 
Deputy  Collectors  con'fine  their  examination  to  goods  exposed  for  consumption  or  sale,  and  that  it  was 
not  the  desire  of  the  Department  that  they  should  extend  their  investigations  into  upper  rooms,  cellars, 
etc.,  as  that  would  be  an  unnecessary  interference,  in  many  cases,  with  the  domestic  arrangements  of 
families,  it  frequently  happening  that  druggists  reside  in  the  same  building  as  that  in  which  they  do  bus- 
iness. 
He  observed,  further,  that  in  his  opinion  the  officers  would  be  fully  justified  in  extending  their  investi- 
gations to  the  small  room  that  is  usually  found  in  the  rear  of  most  drug  stores.  I  told  Mr.  Kimball  that 
if  the  officers  should  go  further  than  this,  it  would,  in  my  opinion,  be  in  violation  of  the  rights  guaranteed 
to  American  citizens  by  one  of  the  early  Amendments  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  which 
guarantees  immunity  from  search,  except  where  there  are  good  grounds  for  supposing  that  something  is 
wrong;  and  even  in  such  cases  it  is  necessary  to  have  a  warrant. 
I  have  no  hesitation  whatever  in  saying  that  I  consider  the  efforts  made  by  officers  to  go  further  than 
the  examination  of  such  goods  as  are  exposed  for  consumption  or  sale,  as  contrary  to  the  wishes  of  the 
Department  :  my  own  personal  view  is,  that  it  is  contrary  to  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States. 
I  shall  probably  embody  the  facts  of  this  case  in  the  next  issu^  of  the  Drug  Exchange  Circular,  but  you 
can  state  to  the  officers,  without  hesitation,  that  Mr.  Kimball  very  clearly  and  definitely  stated  the 
wishes  of  the  Department  to  be  limited  to  the  examination  of  goods  exposed  for  consumption  or  sale  in 
the  stores  of  druggists  and  in  the  small  room  in  the  rear,  but  that  the  officers  were  not  expected  to  go  iiUo 
the  upper  parts  of  the  building,  or  into  the  cellar,  where  goods  were  simply  stored. 
Yours  truly,  A.  H.  JONES. 
A  paper  by  George  W.  Kennedy,  on  suppositories,  was  read  [see  page  55).  Mr. 
Mattison  objected  to  the  opinion  therein  expressed  of  manufactured  goods,  as  en- 
tirely too  general  \  his  experience  with  suppositories  is  in  favor  of  moulds.  M. 
Boring  had  used  the  process  described,  and  found  a  piece  of  linen  advantageous  iru 
avoiding  contact  with  the  hands.  Prof.  Remington  had  made  suppositories  by  hand^ 
and  failed  to  see  matters  in  the  same  light  as  the  writer  of  the  paper,  the  supposi- 
tories being  brittle.  Mr,  Shinn  urged  that  small  lumps  of  cacao  butter  could  be 
avoided  only  with  difficulty.  To  prevent  this,  Mr.  Lemberger  called  attention  to 
grating  the  oil  of  theobroma  previous  to  admixture  with  the  other  ingredients. 
Wm.  Mclntyre  believed  that  the  process  possessed  sufficient  merit  to  warrant  atten- 
tion to  it.  It  was  safe  to  say  that  in  cases  where  the  activity  will  admit  of  nothing- 
but  positive  equal  distribution,  or  the  call  is  very  urgent,  it  is  possible  to  prepare,  in 
from  five  to  ten  minutes,  a  few  suppositories  in  condition  for  immediate  use,  which, 
for  shape  and  utility  will  be  in  keeping  with  all  requirements.  By  proper  attention 
to  all  the  details  of  this  process,  and  by  inserting  the  cones  prepared  with  the  fingers 
