^""■jifyris^s^™"}  Pharmaceutical  Colleges  aud  Associations.  331 
Prof.  Attfield  stated  that  a  specimen  of  "genuine  Goa  powder"  presented  to  him 
four  or  five  years  ago,  was  simply  cudbear. 
Mr.  Moss  said  that  araroba  had  been  received  in  England  by  one  firm  for  many 
years,  but,  he  believed,  had  been  exported  again  to  the  East  Indies. 
Mr.  Postans  referred  to  a  cure  of  ringworm,  effected  by  moistening  the  affected 
part  with  water  and  rubbing  some  powder  over  it;  but  particles  of  the  powder  were 
apt  to  get  into  the  eye,  causing  irritation.  Subsequently  a  paste  of  Goa  powder 
with  oil  was  used  5  washing,  however,  distributed  the  coloring  matter  over  the  hair^ 
converting  it  from  auburn  to  ugly  purplish-brown. 
A  paper  entitled  "Notes  on  the  Pharmacy  of  Atropia,"  was  read  by  Mr.  W, 
Willmott,  In  which  the  causes  of  irritation  of  the  eye  by  atropia  solution  were  dis- 
cussed. Aside  from  idiosyncrasy,  the  author  found  that  it  must  not  be  referred  to- 
impurity  of  the  atropia  salt,  or  to  acidity  of  the  solution,  the  latter  being  neutral, 
and  no  change  in  the  reaction  being  observed  on  long  exposure ;  In  the  hands  of 
patients,  however,  the  solutions  sometimes  acquire  an  acid  reaction  (Mr.  LInford 
suggested  from  the  secretions  of  the  patients'  eyes)  without  causing  iiritation.  On 
several  occasions  when  complaints  were  made,  the  solutions  were  found  to  be  full 
of  dust,  and,  after  filtration,  could  be  used  without  causing  pain. 
Mr.  Williams  referred  to  belladonnia  as  being  probably  present  In  some  atropia. 
In  this  connection  Prof.  Hofmann  referred  to  the  examination  by  chemists  of  the 
bodies  presented  by  nature,  and  to  the  probability  of  preparing  such  compounds 
artificially  after  their  true  composition  is  known. 
Mr.  A.  W.  Gerrard  read  a  paper  on  "  Ergot  and  its  Liquid  Extract,"  In  which  it 
is  suggested  to  preserve  fresh  ergot  when  dry  by  bottling  it,  and  fixing  a  piece  of 
lime,  tied  in  muslin,  to  the  Interior  of  the  stopper.  The  author  considers  the 
exhaustion  of  the  ergot  by  ether,  in  preparing  the  liquid  extract  of  the  British 
"  Pharmacopoeia  "  as  unnecessary,  and  its  subsequent  digestion  with  water  as  Im- 
practicable;  he  offers  to  improve  the  process  by  macerating  16  ounces  of  the  pow- 
der first  with  four  pints,  and  afterwards  with  two  pints  of  cold  water,  evaporating 
to  ten  fluidounces,  adding  eight  fluidounces  of  alcohol,  and  when  the  albumen  has- 
coagulated,  decanting  the  clear  portion  and  straining  the  remainder  through  tow  j 
the  product  should  measure  16  fluidounces. 
The  modified  process  was  endorsed  by  Messrs.  Hampson  and  LInford,  the  latter 
remarking  that  the  separation  of  albumen  was  more  easily  effected  by  adding  the 
alcohol  to  the  warm  liquid,  and  then  filtering  the  extract  through  paper.  A  reduc- 
tion of  the  alcohol  to  one-half  would  make  the  extract  rather  strongly  acid  In  a  few 
months. 
AMERICAN  PHARMACEUTICAL  ASSOCIATION. 
Notice.— The  Twenty-third  Annual  Meeting  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical 
Association  will  be  held  at  Odd  Fellows'  Hall,  corner  of  Berkeley  and  Tremont 
streets,  in  the  city  of  Boston,  Mass.,  on  Tuesday,  September  7th,  1875,  commenc- 
ing at  3  o'clock  P.  M. 
Ample  arrangements  have  been  made  by  the  Local  Secretary,  Mr  Samuel  A.  D. 
Sheppard,  and  the  Local  Committee  of  Arrangements,  for  the  reception  of  articles 
for  exhibition,  and  it  is  confidently  expected  that  a  full  display  will  be  made.  Ex- 
