492 
MINUTES  OF  THE 
prentices,  and  what  means  should  be  employed  to  render  their  appren- 
ticeship profitable  to  themselves  and  satisfactory  to  their  preceptors? 
Acceipted  hy  Samuel  M.  Colcord,  of  Boston. 
17.  What  quantity  of  castor  oil  is  produced  annually  in  the  United 
States,  and  to  what  extent  is  the  American  oil  put  up  in  packages  and 
sold  in  imitation  of  the  East  India  oil  ? 
Referred  to  Francis  X.  Crawley,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
18.  To  what  extent  may  traffic  in  fancy  goods,  liquors  and  cigars  be 
regarded  as  compatible  with  legitimate  pharmacy? 
Accepted  by  Samuel  Campbell,  of  Philadelphia. 
19.  Tincture  of  blood  root  deposits  a  sediment  on  standing.  Is  the 
activity  of  the  preparation  thereby  impaired,  and  is  there  a  more  suitable 
alcoholic  strength  for  this  tincture  ? 
Accepted  by  Louis  Dohme,  of  Baltimore. 
20.  Does  the  commercial  subcarbonate  of  iron  of  the  market  conform 
to  the  requirements  of  the  United  States  Pharmacopceia  ?  If  not,  in 
what  respect  does  it  differ? 
Accepted  by  P.  W.  Bedford,  of  New  York  City. 
21.  Granulated  eflfervescing  compounds  are  sold  by  druggists  under 
popular  names,  and  the  demand  for  them  is  constantly  increasing.  Yet 
these  compounds  are  known  to  be  different  from  the  preparations  repre- 
sented by  the  labels.  Give  a  practical  process  for  the  preparation  of  such 
as  are  believed  to  possess  merit. 
Accepted  by  Samuel  Campbell,  of  Philadelphia. 
22.  Is  tincture  of  opium  as  usually  dispensed  uniform  in  morphia 
strength?  What  range  is  covered  by  the  differences  existing  in  samples 
obtained  from  reputable  sources  ? 
Accepted  by  L.  M.  Rice,  of  New  York  City. 
23.  What  are  the  best  containers,  or  what  other  precautions  can  be  ' 
devised  for  poisonous  drugs  to  lessen  the  liability  to  mistakes  in  dispens- 
ing or  handling  them?    Accepted  by  William  C.  Bakes,  of  Philadelphia. 
24.  The  purity  of  commercial  tartar  emetic  has  been  questioned.  To 
what  extent,  if  at  all,  is  the  article  impaired,  and  in  what  respect  does  it 
usually  fail  to  conform  to  the  official  standard  ? 
Accepted  by  Joseph  P.  Remington,  of  Philadelphia. 
25.  What  medicinal  articles  are  in  popular  use  among  the  Indian 
tribes,  and  what  properties  are  ascribed  to  such  as  are  unknown  to  our 
commentaries  ?  For  general  acceptance. 
26.  Is  there  a  practicable  and  cheap  process  for  isolating  cantharidin? 
and  in  what  proportion  should  it  be  substituted  for  cantharides  in  the 
various  vesicating  preparations  ? 
Accepted  by  Albert  E.  Ebert,  of  Chicago. 
27.  An  article  has  been  introduced  into  the  market  under  the  name  of 
African  Saffron.    What  is  its  source  and  botanical  history? 
Accepted  by  John  M.  Maisch  of  Philadelphia. 
