Am.  Jour.  Pharm.-l  FdifnrirtI  7m 
June,  1901.       I  national.  jUj 
MANNA  FROM  THE  OLIVE  TREE. 
In  the  gardens  of  Mansourah  near  the  Iron  Gate  of  the  Danube, 
there  are  some  very  ancient  olive  trees,  the  trunks  of  which  yield 
abundantly  of  manna,  some  of  the  exuding  pieces  weighing  almost 
a  kilo.  The  product  on  examination  yielded  52  per  cent,  of  mannite, 
identical  with  that  from  the  manna  ash.  The  residue  consisted  of 
sugar,  gummy  matter,  debris  and  water. — (J.  A.  Battandier,  J.  Ph.  et 
Ch.,  1901,  177.)  H.  V.  A. 
EDITORIAL. 
CHARLES  RICE. 
Without  knowledge  that  Dr.  Charles  Rice  had  been  ill,  the  phar- 
maceutical world  was  startled  by  the  announcement  of  his  decease 
on  Monday  morning,  May  13th,  at  10  o'clock,  in  his  apartments 
at  the  Bellevue  Hospital,  New  York  City.  The  fact  was,  he  had 
not  been  well  all  winter,  and  few  apprehended  even  during  his 
last  hours  that  the  end  was  at  hand.  As  recently  as  May  8th 
he  had  sent  out  to  the  members  of  the  Committee  of  Revision  of 
the  U.S.P.,  several  circulars  bearing  on  the  work.  On  Saturday 
afternoon,  May  nth,  he  went  out  for  a  drive  in  Central  Park,  but 
on  returning  was  compelled  to  go  to  bed,  from  which  he  never 
arose.  As  to  what  was  the  cause  of  his  death,  it  is  not  entirely 
apparent,  it  being  supposed  that  he  died  of  aneurism  of  the  aortd. 
On  May  3d  he  wrote :  "  It  looked  at  one  time  as  if  I  had  to  drop  all 
work  not  absolutely  incumbent  upon  me,  but  there  is  enough 
improvement  visible  to  justify  me  holding  on  at  least  for  a  while 
longer,  until  it  can  be  seen  what  the  summer  will  do  for  me.  I  first 
had  the  grippe,  and  this  was  followed  by  intercostal  neuralgia  and 
indications  of  asthma,  which,  some  weeks  ago,  became  very  annoy- 
ing. But  I  am  getting  better,  and  am  only  kept  back  by  the  un  a- 
vorable  weather." 
Dr.  Rice  was  of  Austrian  parentage,  and  was  born  on  October  4, 
1 84 1.  Of  his  early  life  and  subsequent  career  until  he  came  to  this 
country  we  know  little,  save  that  he  received  a  very  thorough  edu- 
cation in-  the  classics,  mathematics  and  the  languages  in  various 
schools  in  Munich,  Passau  and  Vienna.  Having  been  disappointed 
in  obtaining  a  position  requiring  a  knowledge  of  Sanskrit  under  the 
