330 
Editorial 
/Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
[       June,  1892. 
on  botanical  excursions.  It  is  made  of  light  strips  of  wood  well  varnished,  and 
the  pressure  necessary  to  keep  the  specimens  closely  packed  is  obtained  by  a 
cord  passing  through  small  pulleys. 
The  following  information  regarding  several  inquiries  was  furnished  : 
Hydracetin  was  described  in  the  Am.  Journal  of  Pharm.,  1889,  p.  354  ;  in  the 
impure  state  it  was  used  at  one  time  in  England  under  the  name  of  "  Pyro- 
dine."  Its  chemical  name  is  acet-phenylhydrazid  and  formula  C6H5XH- 
NHC2H30.  It  has  antipyretic  action,  the  daily  dose  not  to  exceed  o'i  gm  ;  it 
is  a  powerful  reducing  agent  and  has  been  successfully  used  as  a  10  per  cent, 
ointment  in  psoriasis. 
What  is  the  reaction  in  making  DobelVs  Solution  ? — The  answer  to  this 
can  also  be  found  in  back  numbers  of  the  Am.  Journ.  of  Pharm.,  1883,  447-456^ 
in  a  paper  by  W.  R.  Dunstan.  The  following  reactions  are  there  given  as  show- 
ing the  changes  that  take  place  on  adding  glycerin  to  borax  :  2C3H5(OH)3 
Na2B407  =  2C3H5B03  —  3H20  —  2XaB02,  according  to  which  the  glycerin 
abstracts  boric  acid  from  the  tetra-borate,  leaving  meta-borate  and  forming 
glyceryl-borate  (or  borin)  ;  the  borin,  however,  is  decomposable  by  water, 
hence,  a  second  reaction  occurs  :  C3H;B03  —  3H0O  =  C3H5(OH)3  —  H3B03  ; 
in  aqueous  solutions,  therefore,  the  glycerin  present  is  unchanged  at  the  close 
of  the  reaction  :  2C3H5(OH)3  —  Xa2B407  -  3H  ,0  =2C3H5(OH)3  —  2XaB02 
-f  2H3B03. 
The  free  boric  acid  then  reacts  with  the  sodium  bicarbonate,  one  of  the  con- 
stituents of  Dobell's  solution  (the  fourth  constituent,  carbolic  acid,  does  not 
enter  the  reaction;  forming  water,  carbon  dioxide  and  sodium  meta-borate  (in 
the  presence  of  sufficient  glycerin,  otherwise  sodium  tetra-borate  or  a  mixture 
of  the  two  salts  will  be  produced).  The  action  of  glycerin  upon  borax  solu- 
tion can  be  followed  by  noticing  the  reaction  towards  litmus  paper  ;  borax  solu- 
tions are  alkaline,  but  the  addition  of  glycerin  will  develop  an  acid  reaction  ; 
by  the  aid  of  heat  the  alkaline  reaction  is  restored,  becoming  acid  again,  how- 
ever, on  cooling  ;  diluting  with  water  will  also  change  an  acid  reaction  into  an 
alkaline  one.  It  is  also  interesting  to  note  that  glycerin  is  not  the  only  chemi- 
cal to  bring  about  this  change  ;  all  polyatomic  alcohols  or  aldehydes  contain- 
ing as  many  (OH)  groups  as  carbon  atoms  will  bring  about  the  same  reaction  ; 
thus  mannite,  glucose,  lsevulose,  glycol  will  produce  the  same  change,  while 
saccharose  will  not  effect  it. 
Owing  to  the  alterations  in  the  College  building,  which  have  been  com- 
menced, it  was  resolved  to  omit  the  pharmaceutical  meeting  in  May  ;  and  there 
being  no  further  business,  a  motion  to  adjourn  was  adopted. 
T.  S.  Wiegand,  Registrar. 
EDITORIAL. 
The  America?i  Pharmaceutical  Association  will  hold  its  fortieth  annual 
meeting  at  the  Profile  House,  White  Mountains,  N.  H.,  commencing  on 
Thursday  forenoon,  July  14,  at  9  o'clock.  This  is  a  departure  from  the  custom 
hitherto  followed  in  holding  the  first  session  in  the  afternoon  of  Tuesday,  or, 
of  late  years,  Monday,  and  winding  up  with  the  last  session  held  on, Thursday 
or  Friday  following.  At  the  next  meeting  it  will  become  necessary  to  extend 
the  sessions  into  the  following  week,  thus  affording  a  day  of  rest  before  the 
