360 
Correspondence. 
( Am.  Jour.  PLarm. 
1       July,  1901. 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
WOOD  ALCOHOL. 
Editor  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy  : 
Permit  me  a  word  on  the  use  of  wood  alcohol  for  heating  purposes,, 
spoken  favorably  of  in  a  recent  number  of  the  Journal.  Unques- 
tionably methyl  alcohol  is  a  cheaper  fuel  than  grain  spirit.  It  costs 
less  and  generates,  weight  for  weight,  more  heat.  However,  its  use 
is  attended  sometimes  with  inconveniences  that  must  be  taken  into 
consideration.  From  its  greater  volatility  it  is  even  more  danger- 
ously inflammable  than  ordinary  alcohol.  On  account  of  this  vola- 
tility, also,  there  is  much  greater  waste  in  its  use,  the  loss  from 
evaporation  in  storing  being  more  considerable  and  control  of  the 
rate  of  combustion  in  ordinary  spirit  lamps  being  more  difficult. 
When  burned  in  the  safety  spirit  lamps,  in  which  the  fluid  is  ab- 
sorbed by  asbestos  covered  by  brass  wire  gauze,  the  metal  of  the 
gauze  is  rapidly  corroded,  as  shown  by  the  deep  green  or  blue  color 
imparted  to  the  flame,  and  a  brass  kettle  heated  over  the  flame  be- 
comes quickly  tarnished.  As  a  fuel,  therefore,  for  use  at  the  tea 
table,  wood  spirit  cannot  be  recommended,  at  least  where  brass 
utensils  are  employed. 
A.  B.  Lyons. 
PROCTER  MEMORIAL.1 
In  response  to  a  letter  from  the  Editor  of  this  Journal  concerning 
the  feasibility  of  establishing  a  Research  Laboratory  as  a  memorial 
to  the  life  and  work  of  Prof.  William  Procter,  Jr.,  by  the  American 
Pharmaceutical  Association  at  its  semi-centennial  in  1902,  the  follow- 
ing are  some  of  the  replies  which  have  been  received  : 
Dear  Sir  : — In  a  former  communication  I  expressed  the  idea  that 
some  monument  in  memory  of  William  Procter,  Jr.,  would  be  the 
most  appropriate  memorial  of  his  life  and  work.  If  he  could  have 
been  consulted  about  the  matter  he  would  have  said,  "  Let  it  be  a 
Research  Laboratory,"  and  so,  perhaps,  we  owe  something  to  his 
known  preferences.  If  the  necessary  funds  can  be  obtained  and 
arrangements  made  for  the  permanent  maintenance  of  a  research 
laboratory,  it  seems  to  me  it  would  be  a  most  fitting  monument  to 
1  For  other  information  and  correspondence  on  this  subject,  see  November, 
1900,  and  February,  March,  April,  May  and  June  issues  of  this  Journal. 
