'^""  ocTis^so"'"-  [    British  Pharmaceutical  Conference.  5  25 
here  beyond  stating  that  Mr.  Naylor  is  in  favor  of  the  production  of  these  extracts 
by  evaporation  in  njacuo. 
Mr.  Fletcher  then  called  attention  to  the  presence  of  arsenic  in  the  tincture  and 
solution  of  perchloride  of  iron,  and  other  articles  in  the  preparation  of  which  hydro- 
chloiic  acid  is  used.  He  also  described  an  indirect  method  for  the  giavimetric 
estimation  of  minute  quantities  of  arsenicum,  which  consisted  in  treating  the  sub- 
stance to  be  examined  in  such  a  way  as  to  convert  any  arsenicum  that  it  might  con- 
tain into  arsenietted  hydrogen,  passing  the  gas  through  solution  of  nitrate  of  silver 
and  weighing  the  reduced  silver.  Mr.  Fletcher  gave  the  preference  to  this  method 
over  those  of  Levol  and  Herapath,  because  the  weight  of  the  silver  to  be  weighed  is- 
about  nine  times  as  great  as  that  of 'the  arsenic  to  be  determined.  Some  doubt, 
however,  appears  to  exist  as  to  whether  the  whole  of  the  arsenic  in  any  substance 
to  be  examined  would  be  converted  into  arsenietted  hydrogen  by  the  action  of  zinc 
and  hydrochloric  acid,  although  the  figures  given  by  Mr.  Fletcher  as  representing 
the  results  obtained  when  operating  on  very  small  quantities  appeared  to  show  that 
the  process  is  trustworthy. 
In  Mr.  Gerrard's  paper  on  emulsions,  he  recommends  the  use  of  powdered  gum 
acacia  as  the  emulsifying  agent,  and  gave  practical  illustration  of  his  mode  of  opera- 
tion, as  well  as  formula  for  the  preparation  of  various  emulsions. 
A  paper  by  Mr.  Thresh  on  the  determination  of  the  strength  of  alcoholic  solutions- 
of  chloroform  was  then  read,  as  well  as  a  report  on  commercial  specimens  of  sal 
volatile  and  chloric  ether,  in  which  the  results  of  the  application  of  his  method  were 
detailed.  After  showing  the  wide  differences  between  the  preparations  supplied  and 
used  under  the  names  sal  volatile  and  chloric  ether,  Mr.  Thresh  dwelt  upon  the 
desirability  of  observing  greater  uniformity;  and,  in  the  discussion  that  followed, 
the  need  of  establishing  some  kind  of  authority  that  would  be  recognized  and  that 
would  be  effectual  in  attaining  such  a  result  was  generally  admitted. 
Mr.  Woodland's  report  on  the  strength  of  commercial  specimens  of  aqua  lauro- 
cerasi  was  essentially  a  reiteration  of  data  published  by  Mr.  Umney  in  this  journal 
in  the  year  1869.  They  showed  that  this  preparation  is  uncertain  in  every  way,  and 
is  so  thouroughly  unsatisfactory  that  it  is  high  time  it  was  expunged  from  the  British 
Pharmacopoeia. 
The  concluding  paper,  also  by  Mr.  Woodland,  was  a  report  on  the  strength  and 
purity  of  the  alkaline  solutions  of  potash  and  ammonia  met  with  in  pharmacy. 
The  next  business  was  the  discussion  as  to  the  place  of  meeting  in  i88t,  and  as  a 
matter  of  course  the  choice  fell  upon  York,  from  which  city  a  formal  invitation  had 
been  sent  by  Mr.  Ralph  Dawson,  and  was  personally  supported  by  Mr.  Clark.  The 
new  president  proposed  by  the  Executive  Committee  was  Mr.  Richard  Reynolds,  of 
Leeds,  and  the  new  vice  presidents  were  Professor  Attfield,  Messrs.  Davison,  of 
York,  and  Umney,  of  London;  as  General  Secretary,  Mr.  Michael  Carteighe,  of 
London,  and  as  Local  Secretary,  Mr.  Joseph  Sowray,  were  nominated,  and  all  were 
elected  by  a  unanimous  vote.  Various  votes  of  thanks  were  then  passed.  One  of 
them,  on  motion  of  Mr.  Brady,  seconded  by  Mr.  Savage,  expressing  appreciation  of 
the  services  so  kindly  rendered  by  the  Local  Committee,  and  especially  by  Messrs. 
Grose,  Hughes  and  Williams,  in  provididg  for  the  reception  and  accommodation 
of  the  members.  Another,  propoi-ed  by  Mr.  Chipperfield,  and  seconded  by  Mr. 
Hughes,  who  was  unable  to  resist  the  temptation  of  addressing  the  meeting  in  the 
Welsh  language,  recognized  the  ability  and  courtesy  with  which  Mr.  William 
Soutliall  had  conducted  the  business  of  the  meeting. 
The  general  business  of  the  Conference  having  been  thus  brought  to  a  con- 
clusion, shortly  after  five  o'clock  Mr.  Schacht,  at  the  request  of  the  president,  pro- 
ceeded to  the  presentation  of  the  testimonial  to  Prof.  Attfield  on  retiring  from  the 
position  of  honorary  secretary,  which  he  had  filled  since  the  organization  of  the 
Conference.  The  testimonial  consisted  of  about  five  hundred  works  of  general 
literature. 
In  the  course  of  the  evening,  at  the  invitation  of  the  Local  Committee,  some  of 
the  members  went  for  a  marine  excursion  round  the  Bay. 
On  Thursday  morning  those  pharmacists  who  bestirred  themselves  sufficiently 
