520         Pharmaceutical  Colleges  and  Associations.  {^'^'^o^:7^l'^' 
Mr.  Creuse  proposed  a  simple  method  for  assaying  the  granular  citrate  of  mag- 
nesium of  the  markv,t,  which  usually  contains  tartrate  of  sodium.  It  consisted  in 
igniting  a  small  qxiantity  of  the  dry  salt,  and  then  estimating  by  volumetric  analysis 
and  by  direct  weighing,  the  amount  of  the  two  bases  found  in  the  ash.  He  was 
requested  to  give  the  details  of  the  process  in  a  paper  to  be  read  at  a  subsequent 
meeting. 
Professor  Bedford  spoke  of  the  importance  of  the  papers  on  phosphoric  acid  read 
at  the  Boston  meeting  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association,  and  read  ex- 
tracts from  a  letter  from  Professor  Markoe  relative  to  the  explosion  which  occurred 
recently  in  Philadelphia  in  using  his  process.  He  stated  that  this  explosion  was 
caused  by  the  neglect  to  keep  the  vessel  in  cold  water  and  to  add  the  bromine  drop 
by  drop. 
Mr,  Runyon  remarked  that  he  had  used  Professor  Markoe's  process  without  ob- 
serving any  violent  reactions. 
Professor  Falke  showed  a  tube  in  which  he  had  placed  phosphorus  in  solution  in 
carbon  bisulphide.  After  some  weeks  the  phosphorus  had  become  converted  into  the 
amorphous  variety  without  the  use  of  heat.  He  also  showed  fine  specimens  of 
Franklinite  and  other  minerals  from  his  cabinet. 
The  Secretary  presented  specimens  of  carnauba  root,  jabarandi  wood  and  of  belae 
fructus  or  Bengal  quince,  an  officinal  of  the  Br.  Ph. 
The  next  meeting  of  the  Association  will  be  held  in  January.  Members  of  the 
Philadelphia  Alumni  in  New  York  are  invited  to  attend  and  take  part  in  the 
discussions. 
British  Pharmaceutical  Conference. — We  are  indebted  to  the  London 
"  Pharmaceutical  Journal  "  for  the  following  resume  of  the  proceedings  of  the  Con- 
ference, contained  in  an  editorial  of  its  issue  of  August  28th,  and  which  we  print 
almost  verbatim.  We  hope  to  find  room  in  future  numbers  for  publishing  some  of 
the  interesting  papers  read. 
*'  The  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference  has  held  at  Bristol  its  Twelfth  Annual 
Meeting  (August  24th  to  26th),  and  a  most  successful  meeting  on  the  whole  it  has 
proved.  The  number  of  members  present  apparently  equalled  the  number  on  any 
previous  occasion  ;  the  papers  and  the  discussions  which  followed  them  were  good 
and  interesting ;  and  although  the  Conference  must  now  have  become  habituated 
to  hospitable  receptions,  the  kindness  and  forethought  of  the  Bristol  Local  Com- 
mittee have  been  such  as  to  leave  the  pleasantest  of  souvenirs  in  connection  with 
this  meeting. 
The  general  proceedings  commenced  with  a  very  favorable  report  ,  from  the 
Committee,  and  the  Treasurer  announced  that  the  balance  in  hand  had  increased 
from  a  nominal  to  a  very  respectable  sum.  An  able  address  from  the  President, 
Mr.  Groves,  of  Weymouth,  followed,  which,  as  last  year,  consisted  in  part  of  a 
resume  of  the  political  history  of  pharmacy  during  the  previous  twelve  months.  It 
included  some  valuable  remarks  upon  topics  which  might  profitably  be  discussed  at 
provincial  meetings,  and  Mr.  Groves  also  lent  the  weight  of  his  official  position  to 
the  advocacy  of  earlier  closing.  Of  course,  in  reviewing  the  pharmaceutical  history 
of  a  year,  the  acts  of  the  Council  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Society  could  scarcely  be 
