46 
Pharmaceutical  Meeting. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I    January,  1901. 
"  Modern  high  explosives  are  essentially  nitro-compounds,forms  of 
nitrocellulose  or  nitroglycerin.  The  solubility  of  nitrocellulose  in 
volatile  solvents  permits  of  forming  it  into  any  shape  or  mixing  it 
with  any  substance.  Some  of  the  common  smokeless  powders  are 
similar  to  celluloid.  The  formulae  are  often  secret,  but  nitrocellulose 
is  the  foundation  ingredient.  Here  is  one  of  the  ribbon  forms. 
Cordite  is  in  cylindrical  sticks.  Here  are  short,  thick  cylinders  of 
the  Maxim-Schupphaus  type,  perforated  as  you  see  with  longitudi- 
nal openings  to  permit  the  free  rush  of  flame  through  the  mass. 
Several  sizes  of  these  are  on  the  table,  the  largest  about  3  inches 
long  by  T  inch  in  diameter,  the  smallest  I  inch  long  by  less  than  a 
half  inch  in  diameter.  When  burning  in  the  open  air  these  smoke- 
less explosives  do  not  show  much  energy,  although  there  is  evidently 
1  large  gas  disengagement  with  little  smoke  and  very  little  solid 
residue.  In  connection  with  this  experiment  it  is  interesting  to 
note  the  effect  of  heating  ammonium  dichromate,  in  which  an  active 
internal  combustion  occurs,  but  the  fact  that  one  product,  chromic 
oxide,  is  solid,  greatly  diminishes  the  energy  of  the  combustible, 
though  the  action  is  analogous  to  that  which  occurs  in  guncotton." 
J.  Percy  Remington  exhibited  and  described  "  A  Pharmacist's 
Apparatus  Stand  "  (seepage  19).  The  chairman,  Mr.  Shinn,  com- 
mended the  apparatus  as  having  certain  very  admirable  features, 
and  said  that  when  he  was  actively  engaged  in  the  drug  business  he 
had  constructed  a  stand  for  use  in  a  closet  in  which  the  space  in  a 
vertical  direction  was  utilized. 
F.  W.  Haussmann  read  a  paper  on  "  The  Discoloration  of  Syrup 
of  Iodide  of  Iron,"  and  exhibited  numerous  specimens.  (See  page 
1 6.)  Dr.  Leffmann,  in  commenting  on  the  paper,  said  that  possibly 
the  metallic  salt  caused  an  inversion  of  the  sugar  with  consequent 
discoloration  of  the  syrup,  as  has  been  shown  in  a  paper  recently  by 
Dr.  J.  H.  Long,  of  Northwestern  University.  In  reply  to  a  question 
by  Mr.  Shinn,  as  to  the  use  of  glycerin  in  preserving  the  syrup,  Mr. 
Haussmann  said  that  the  question  of  chemical  action  arose  when 
this  substance  is  used,  as  glycerin,  being  glyceryl  hydrate  when  acted 
upon  by  iodine  or  its  compounds,  possibly  forms  allyl  compounds 
as  allyl  iodide.  Mr.  Joseph  W.  England  exhibited  a  specimen  from 
the  Museum  of  the  College,  which  had  been  made  by  Professor  Procter 
(this  Journal,  1868,  p.  108),  January  15,  1865,  using  glycerin,  and 
which  was  not  discolored.    He  also  stated  that  in  making  the  syrup 
