524  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference,    [  JctTisso"'"' 
grow  freely  near  human  habitations,  a  fact  that  was  explained  to  Mr,  Brady  as  being 
due  to  the  promotion  of  their  growth  by  smoke  j  and  it  that  alone  were  a  sufficient 
explanation  it  might  be  worth  while  to  make  an  experiment  in  the  cultivation  of 
cocoanut  palms  in  and  around  Swansea.  The  extraction  of  oil  from  the  cocoanuts 
was  described  as  having  been  carried  to  a  high  degree  of  perfection  5  and,  although 
some  considerable  degree  of  mystery  appears  to  be  maintained  as  to  the  way  in 
whicii  tliis  done,  the  result  would  seem  to  be  merely  a  natural  consequense  of  the 
rational  use  of  suitable  machinery.  Mr.  Brady  mentioned  that,  though  cocoanut 
oil  is  habitually  known  to  us  as  a  solid  fat,  it  was  never  met  with  in  Ceylon  in  any 
other  than  the  liquid  form,  which  it  was  impossible  to  persuade  the  native  Cinghalese 
was  any  other  tiian  its  invariable  condition.  This  striking  effect  of  the  difference 
in  the  physical  chatacter  of  a  material  produced  by  the  influence  of  climite  had  a 
parallel  in  an  experience  of  the  speaker  in  Algeria  as  to  the  local  idea  of  water, 
where  on  telling  a  native  that  in  England  it  was  possible  to  walk  across  the  water  in 
winter,  his  statement  led  to  the  remark,  "  If  these  Franks  will  tell  you  this  no  won- 
der they  come  here  with  the  Bible."  Among  the  points  of  interest  that  Mr.  Brady 
came  across  in  Japan  was  an  ingenious  form  of  still  tor  making  peppermint  water, 
a  figure  ot  which  will  be  given  in  a  future  number.  In  the  discussion  that  followed 
Mr.  White  ineffectually  endeavored  to  open  up  the  question  of  the  profit  arising 
from  cinchona  cultivation,  and  Mr.  Wootton  as  ineffectually  sought  to  i)iterest  the 
meeting  in  the  subject  of  the  obstacles  alleged  to  be  presented  by  the  Japanese  to  the 
importation  of  chemicals  from  this  country.  It  was  evidently  felt  that  there  were 
two  sides  to  this  latter  subject,  and  that  it  would  be  wise  to  leave  it  to  be  dealt  with 
by  those  who  were  more  specially  interested.  In  reference  to  the  distillation  of  cin- 
namon oil  in  Ceylon,  it  was  suggested  by  Mr.  Umney  that  taking  as  a  precedent  the 
extraction  of  cocoanut  oil,  it  would  be  desirable  that  the  Ceylon  growers  imported 
a  distinguished  pharmacist  to  distil  the  cinnamon  oil,  or  at  any  rate  some  one  who 
would  understand  how  to  do  it. 
Mr.  Greenish,  in  a  note  on  Indian  Henbane^  prefaced  his  remarks  by  stating  how 
desirable  it  was  that  the  numerous  vegetable  products  introduced  from  tropical  and 
other  countries  should  be  thoroughly  examined  in  order  to  ascertain  whether  or  not 
they  contain  any  active  principle.  Having  regard  to  the  growing  scarcity  of  bien- 
nial henbane  leaves,  he  had  undertaken  the  examination  ot  a  sample  ot  Indian  hen- 
bane leaf,  which  had  a  very  intense  persistent  odor.  Having  only  a  very  small 
quantity  he  had  prepared  a  tincture,  and  was  inclined  to  think  that  India  would 
possibly  supply  this  therapeutic  agent  of  more  valuable  character  than  that  of  home 
growtii.  In  commenting  upon  this  paper,  Mr.  Reynolds  referred  to  the  introduction 
of  hyoscyamia  by  Merck,  mentioning  that  it  was  usually  made  from  the  leaves, 
and  that  what  was  made  from  the  root  was  often  disappointing  m  its  effects.  Mr. 
Umney  expressed  the  opinion  that  this  product  was  really  obtained  from  the  leaves 
of  the  annual  henbane  and  that  the  direction  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  to  use  the  bien- 
nial variety  was  "mere  moonshine."  Incidentally  Dr.  Symes  remarked  that  he 
claimed  the  opinion  just  expressed  by  Mr.  Greenish  as  a  support  of  the  suggestion 
he  had  already  made  that  new  drugs  deserved  careful  attention.  Mr.  Gcrrard  com- 
plained that  the  products  obtained  in  this  way  were  too  often  only  curiosities  and 
not  commercial  articles. 
Mr.  A.  H.  Allen  communicated  some  further  notes  on  petroleum  spirit^  describing 
■some  methods  which  he  considered  calculated  for  distinguishing  between  true  petro- 
leum spiiit  and  the  analogous  volatile  liquid  ()'i)tained  from  shale  oil. 
Mr  Greenish  exhibited  a  sample  of  cayenne  pepper^  possessing  all  the  external 
properties  of  true  cayenne  as  grown  and  ground  in  Natal,  but  having  an  oily 
appearance  that  seemed  artificial  and  communicating  to  the  paper  in  which  it  was 
folded  a  greasy  stain  of  a  reddish-yellow  color.  It  was  moreover  quite  destitute  of 
pungency.  In  this  respect  it  seemed  very  much  to  resemble,  as  pointed  out  by  Mr. 
Brady,  the  mild  capsicum  commonly  used  m  Hungary  as  a  spice  under  the  name  of 
"  paprika." 
Mr.  Nay  lor  then  followed  with  some  notes  upon  the  green  Extracts  of  the  Fharm- 
Mcopceia^  the  details  of  which  were  too  copious  to  admit  of  special  reference  to  them 
