^e'ceS/isog11" }     Philadelphia  College  .of  Pharmacy.  597 
eolation,  the  Danish  Pharmacopoeia  appears  to  have  been  the  only 
one  which  has  so  far  elaborated  on  the  idea  and  includes  a  practical 
method  for  the  percolation  of  opium,  and  that  while  several  other 
pharmacopoeias  direct  that  tincture  of  opium  be  made  by  percolation 
they  do  not  give  directions  for  the  process.  Mr.  Wilbert  also  ex- 
pressed himself  as  being  pleased  that  Mr.  Raubenheimer  called  atten- 
tion to  the  fact  that  the  members  of  the  Philadelphia  College  of 
Pharmacy  were  instrumental  in  introducing  and  elaborating  the 
process  of  extracting  vegetable  drugs  by  means  of  percolation. 
A  number  of  communications  bearing  on  the  relative  value  of 
maceration  and  percolation  were  received,  and  these  will  be  pub- 
lished together. 
Prof.  Charles  H.  La  Wall  presented  "  Some  Suggested  Stand- 
ards and  Changes  for  the  U.  S.  Pharmacopoeia,"  which  will  appear 
in  a  subsequent  number  of  this  Journal. 
Mr.  F.  M.  Apple  said,  relative  to  a  tentative  suggestion  by 
Professor  LaWall  that  the  strength  of  essence  of  peppermint  be 
reduced  to  5  per  cent.,  that  in  general  he  favored  as  few  changes 
as  possible  in  the  strength  of  pharmacopceial  preparations,  and  that 
as  the  essence  of  peppermint  is  used  by  physicians  the  suggestion 
for  a  reduction  in  its  strength  should  come  from  them  rather  than 
from  the  manufacturers  of  flavoring  extracts. 
A  paper  treating  of  "  Spigelia,  Belladonnae  Folia,  Prunus  Vir- 
giniana  and  Frangula,  and  Some  of  Their  Adulterants  "  was  received 
from  John  Moser,  Jr.,  P.D.,  a  recent  graduate  of  the  College. 
Mr.  Gane  presented  specimens  of  the  following  which  recently 
appeared  on  the  market:  A  root  from  Dutch  Guiana  called 
<c  Nekkoe  "  or  "  Narkoe  Root  "  used  in  the  treatment  of  dysentery 
and  intestinal  troubles,  and  sent  to  New  York  with  the  object  of 
having  its  properties-  further  Studied;  seeds  of  Peganum Harmala, 
an  Indian  plant  ;  and  vegetable" *'  shells 9r  imported  probably  to  re- 
place walnut  shells,  olive  pits,  etc,  owing  to  the  ease  with  which 
the  latter  can  now  be  detected. 
Attention  was  also  directed  to  a  specimen  of  aggregated  crystals 
of  selenite  (hydrous  calcium  sulphate)  obtained  in  St.  Mary's  Co., 
Md.,  and  presented  by  President  Howard  B.  French. 
'  A  vote  of- thanks  was  -tendered  the 'authors  of  the  papers  and  the 
donors  of  the  specimens. '•    "  ' 
..     \   .  .       .   Florence  Yaple, 
>      '      '      -      -  .':;«'     ■■  •     .     Secretary  pro  tern: 
