A  mi.  Jour.  Pharm.  i 
December,  1901.  J 
Pharmaceutical  Meeting. 
607 
obtained,  and  their  uses.  The  paper  was  illustrated  by  a  series  of 
specimens  of  sponges*  exhibited  by  the  Smith,  Kline  &  French  Co., 
and  included  an  old  earthen  jug  upon  which  a  large  Mandruka 
sponge  ot  fine  quality  had  grown.  A  Zimocha  toilet  sponge 
and  two  fine  specimens  of  silk  surgeon  cup  sponges,  all  of 
which  had  become  attached  naturally  to  rocks;  a  peculiar  speci- 
men was  a  genuine  large  Abaco  velvet  sponge  of  perfect  form, 
attached  to  a  coral  formation  of  peculiar  shape,  one  part  looking 
very  similar  to  a  pineapple ;  a  set  of  four  pictures  showing  4<  a 
diver  being  dressed  to  descend,"  "a  diver  preparing  to  descend," 
4t  a  diver  surrounded  by  curious  fish,"  and  "  a  typical  view  where 
sponges  abound;"  also  a  large  tortoise,  nearly  3  feet  long,  its 
shell  having  been  polished,  and  a  sample  of  every  known  variety 
of  sponge  used  commercially  (the  most  interesting  of  these  being 
a  perfectly  formed  Mandruka  bath  sponge  measuring  about  18 
inches  across),  added  interest  to  this  interesting  paper. 
In  answer  to  a  question  by  Dr.  Lowe,  concerning  the  possibility  of 
cultivating  sponges  successfully  on  the  coral  reefs  of  Florida,  Mr. 
Hart  took  an  adverse  view  and  stated  that,  while  experiments  on  a 
small  scale  had  proven  successful,  the  conditions  for  their  develop- 
ment to  produce  a  large  crop  were  not  practically  attainable.  They 
must  be  planted  in  clear  water,  water  in  which  there  is  scarcely  any 
motion,  and  at  a  depth  of  about  16  feet.  He  also  stated  that  there 
were  about  $300,000  worth  of  sponges  shipped  from  Florida  annu- 
ally,and  that  in  the  Mediterranean  waters  many  of  the  beds  had 
practically  given  out.  In  reply  to  a  question  by  Mr.  Hynson,  he 
said  that  a  certain  variety  of  sponge  is  peculiar  to  a  particular  local- 
ity, and  the  clearer  the  water  and  the  warmer  the  temperature  the 
finer  the  quality  of  sponge.  Mr.  Hart  also  accorded  with  the  view 
of  Dr.  Lowe  that  the  Red  sea  was  a  favorable  locality  for  the  growth 
of  sponges,  and  stated  that  some  were  obtained  from  this  locality. 
The  matter  of  the  adulteration  of  sponges  was  also  discussed.  Pro- 
fessor Remington  referred  to  the  method  of  loading  dales  of  sponges 
by  the  use  of  a  mixture  of  barytes  and  red  lead.  Mr.  Hart  stated 
that  at  the  present  time  they  were  washed  in  water  with  much  sand, 
and  that  the  sand  dries  in  and  the  water  dries  out  of  the  sponge, 
thus  increasing  the  weight.  In  place  of  sand,  salt  and  sugar  solu- 
tions also  were  used. 
M.  I.  Wilbert  read  a  paper  on  "  A  Metric  Measuring  Glass"  (see 
