596  Minutes  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Meeting.  { *m'$™;w&xm' 
The  uses  which  the  instrument  may  be  applied  to  are  very  many,  but  primarily 
its  greatest  value  is  that  of  detecting  the  character  and  consequently  the  safety 
of  the  atmosphere  in  coal  mines  and  subterraneous  diggings,  where  gases  are 
liable  to  accumulate.  For  testing  the  character  of  the  atmosphere  in  school- 
rooms, assembly  halls  and  churches,  its  use  is  apparent  and  very  valuable. 
It  has  also  been  used  in  testing  the  character  of  the  air  in  oil  tanks  and  in  the 
coal  bunks  of  ocean  steamers,  the  accumulation  of  gas  to  an  explosive  point 
in  such  places  being  of  most  serious  importance. 
Mr.  Wilson  also  described  the  effects  of  several  gases  upon  animal  life,  and 
stated  that  sulphuretted  hydrogen  has  been  found  the  most  noxious  of  any 
experimented  with.  It  was  further  stated  that  the  School  Board  in  New  York 
City  employed  the  apparatus  in  testing  the  air  of  the  school-rooms  ;  that  the 
Consolidated  Gas  Companies  of  New  York  City  had  adopted  it  in  the  analysis 
of  gas  they  prepare  for  illuminating  purposes,  and  that  ere  long  it  would 
probably  form  part  of  the  outfit  of  those  chemists  who  make  gas  analysis  a 
special  part  of  their  work. 
Mr.  Webb  said  that  the  exhibition  and  explanation  of  the  uses  of  the  instru- 
ment were  so  interesting  and  instructive  that  the  thanks  of  the  College  were 
due  to  Mr.  Wilson,  and  on  motion  a  vote  of  thanks  was  unanimously  tendered 
to  him. 
Prof.  Remington  said  that  it  was  remarkable  what  a  toleration  of  various 
gases  is  soon  established  by  those  working  among  them  ;  that  sulphurous  acid 
gas,  which  is  so  irritating,  soon  becomes  tolerable  to  some  extent,  and  that 
workmen  who  prepare  water  of  ammonia,  and  are  consequently  exposed  to  the 
vapor  of  ammonia,  soon  cease  to  be  annoyed  by  it. 
Professor  Maisch  exhibited  a  collection  of  photographs  prepared  by  Fred. 
D.  Maisch,  photographer  at  Chicago.  Among  them  were  some  landscape 
views  with  various  interesting  plants,  like  Victoria  regia,  species  of  nymphaea, 
yucca,  musa,  etc.,  and  a  large  number  of  handsomely  executed  microphoio- 
graphs  of  sections  of  authentic  drugs,  among  them  the  barks  of  different  species 
of  cinchona  and  so-called  false  cinchonas  ;  the  roots  of  senega,  taraxacum, 
inula,  apocynum,  stillingia,  cimicifuga,  salep,  colchicum,  jalap  and  glycyrrhiza  ; 
the  wood  of  quassia  and  picrsena  ;  the  fruit  of  anise,  conium,  parsley,  caraway, 
fennel  and  juniper ;  the  seed  of  stramonium  and  cardamom,  and  many 
others.  These  photographs  are  very  instructive  for  the  study  of  the  charac- 
teristic structure  of  drugs. 
.  Prof.  Maisch  read  a  note  from  Mr.  C.  E.  Hires  in  regard  to  the  asserted 
parasitic  character  of  the  vanilla  plant ;  also  abstracts  from  the  works  of 
several  English,  French  and  German  botanists  clearly  proving  the  plant  to  be 
epiphytic,  but  not  parasitic.    (See  p.  554.) 
Dr.  Lowe  exhibited  an  apparatus  for  preparing  syrup  for  pharmaceutic  uses 
and  especially  useful  where  large  quantities  of  sj^rup  are  consumed  at  the 
soda-water  fountain.  It  consists  of  a  can  with  a  false  bottom  of  tinned  wire 
supported  above  the  middle  of  the  can  ;  upon  this  is  placed  a  layer  of  cotton 
cloth  ;  a  small  pipe  is  soldered  to  one  side  of  the  can  to  permit  the  passage  of 
air  from  below  the  diaphragm  to  the  upper  part  of  the  can  ;  the  sugar  is  put 
upon  the  strainer,  water  is  added  and  the  syrup  percolates  to  the  lower  part  of 
the  vessel  ;  it  has  proved  to  be  of  great  utility  during  the  past  year  that  it  has 
been  in  use. 
