2  22  Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting,  {"^""aS'issJ?'"'" 
We  think  this  remedy  worthy  of  a  trial.  The  fluid  extract  is  used  in  doses  of  five 
^rops. — Buffalo  Med.  Journ. — Nashville  Journ.  of  Med.  and  Surg..,  Feb.,  1880 
Hard  versus  Soft  Water. — Dr.  Tidy,  the  well-known  chemist,  thus  summarizes 
in  the  London  "  Medical  Examiner  "  the  results  of  his  observations  on  the  use  of  hard 
water  for  culinary  and  domestic  purposes  : 
1.  Hard  water  is  the  best  dietetically,  because  of  the  lime. 
2.  It  makes  better  tea,  although  not  so  dark  colored,  owing  to  the  fact  that  soft 
water  dissolves  the  bitter  extractive  matters  which  color  the  tea,  but  ruins  the  aroma. 
3.  It  relieves  thirst,  which  soft  water  does  not. 
4.  It  does  not  dissolve  lead  or  organic  matter,  which  soft  water  does. 
5.  It  is  generally  good  colored,  soft  water  being  as  a  rule  dark  colored  and  un- 
pleasant looking  5  hence  in  places  like  Manchester,  supplied  with  soft  water,  they 
always  put  it  (in  hotels)  in  dark  bottles  to  hide  the  color.  A  soft  water,  however, 
is  a  better  detergent  and  requires  less  soap.  For  a  residential  town  a  water  which 
has  over  ten  degrees  of  hardness  would  be  best.  For  a  manufacturing  town  a  soft 
water  would  be  the  most  advisable  for  commercial  considerations  only. — Pharmacist. 
A  Plea  for  Oleomargarin  as  a  Food  Product. —Representatives  of  the  oleo- 
margarin  industry  appeared  before  the  House  Committee  on  Agriculture  and  Manu- 
factures on  March  loth,  in  opposition  to  any  legislation  Injuriously  affecting  their 
product.  They  claim  that  oleomargarin  is  Identified  with  butter  5  that  both  the  real 
butter  and  oleomargarin  butter  are  simply  animal  fat,  and  the  difference  In  the  process 
of  inanufacture  makes  no  difference  in  the  substance.  They  stated  that  the  factory 
in  New  York  is  now  making  40,000  pounds  of  oleomargarin  butter  per  day,  and  that 
there  are  eleven  such  factories  In  Baltimore,  Louisville,  Chicago  and  other  cities  j 
that  the  exports  of  oleomargarin  oils  from  the  port  of  New  York  alone  amounts  to 
5,000  tierces  per  month.  They  protest  against  any  discriminating  legislation  on  the 
o;round  that  their  product  is  a  general  food-product,  pure  and  wholesome  In  Itself, 
and  a  fit  substitute  for  butter. — Nen.v  York  Med.  Record,  March  20,  1880. 
MINUTES  OF  THE  PHApACEUTICAL  MEETING. 
Philadelphia,  March  i8th,  1880. 
In  consequence  of  the  fifty-ninth  annual  commencement  of  the  College  occurring 
on  the  third  Tuesday  of  th2  month,  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting  was  postponed  to 
Thursday,  the  i8th  Inst. 
The  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  Dillwyn  Parrlsh,  the  President;  the  minutes 
of  the  last  meeting  having  been  read,  were  approved. 
Donations  to  the  cabinet  and  library  being  the  first  business  in  order,  the  Registrar 
presented  and  described  the  advantages  of  a  lozenge  apparatus,  designed  by  Mr. 
Francis  E.  Harrison,  of  the  graduating  class  of  this  year.  It  will  be  figured  in  the 
May  number  of  the  '*  Journal." 
