should be made by assay, or at least from assayed opium, and the strength be adjusted by dilution.

Early in 1860 your reporter made an assayed solution of opium; or rather made it some time before, but published the formula and his experience with it at that time. This was called liquor opii compositus, and a detailed account of it may be found in the Amer. Journ. Pharm. 1860, pp. 115 et seq. This was proposed to the Committee of Revision, but was rejected in favour of the present officinal tinct. opii deodorata. As soon as the formula of the latter was authoritatively published, your reporter made it, and offered it for sale, together with the assayed preparation, giving briefly the prominent points of both, but claiming that the Committee of Revision preferred the present officinal. This latter was also offered with a considerable discrimination in price in its favour, and physicians were asked to use it with, or substitute it for, the other. Besides this, it was always made from assayed opium, and was of uniform strength. This course has now been fairly pursued by your reporter for about ten years, with occasional reports from good authorities upon the comparative merits of the two preparations, the strength and uniformity being the same. These reports have been without exception in favour of the compound solution, and its use has increased steadily and much more rapidly than that of the deodorized tincture, and this without advertising of any kind, except the no small advantage of officinal authority and preference.

Under these circumstances, your reporter would recommend a change in the composition of the compound solution by replacing the compound spirit of ether which it contains, by either chloroform, or acetic ether, or both, and its adoption in the next Pharmacopoeia. There is now no doubt, in your reporter's judgment, as to the utility and efficacy of the process used for depurating the opium, nor of the assaying. Nor is there any doubt of the therapeutic advantage of the compound spirit of ether. But the odour of ether is very disagreeable and even nauseating to a small proportion of patients, and recent experience has shown that the modifying influence of chloroform upon opiates is very favourable and very useful. It has occasionally happened that, where the comp. solution of opium has been long kept with free access of air, particularly when kept in warm places or in warm climates, that the odour of ether and of oil of wine have disappeared and been replaced by quite as strong an odour of acetic ether. The preparation thus changed has in a few instances been well tried therapeutically, and, so far as these few trials go, has been considered to be unimpaired, whilst it has been

more acceptable to the stomach. Successful and skilful French physicians have long habitually used acetic ether as a nervous stimulant and diaphoretic, and as an agreeable and useful corrigent very acceptable to the stomach. The chloroform and acetic ether, if used together, would make a very elegant preparation, and would protect the solution from change quite as well as the compound spirit of ether.

Whether this or any similiar preparation be adopted in the next revision is, however, a matter of much less consequence than the making of all opium preparations by assay. And your reporter cannot too strongly urge this point in connection with the Pharmacopoeia. (United States.)

Mix.

Sem. Cardam.

3iv.

Moisten with half a pint diluted alcohol, pack in a percolator, and pass diluted alcohol until a gallon has been obtained. Tyson's Antimonial Powders.

Sweet Quinine.-This substance which was introduced to the American public by Mr. Frederick Stearns, has been examined by Mr. Procter of Philadelphia. From the advertising circular it was inferred to be the alkaloid quinia, associated with liquorice sugar. It was imagined that by manufacturing skill, free quinine was combined with glycyrrhizin in lieu of sulphuric acid. On investigation the remedy appears mainly to consist of the alkaloid cinchonia, precipitated from the sulphate, dried, and triturated with an impure glycyrrhizin prepared from liquorice root. Cinchonia is very insoluble, requiring nearly 4000 parts of cold water, hence the tastelessness of sweet quinine, and its bitterness with acid or alcoholic fluids which salify and dissolve it. These conclusions are supported by numerous experiments.

Explanation by Mr. Stearns (Proc. of the American Pharm. Assoc., Chicago):

“Mr. President and gentlemen: Dr. Squibb has seen fit to introduce a resolution for my expulsion. Of course, when such a serious charge is made, I feel it to be a duty to myself, as well as to the society, to explain exactly upon what ground I stand. It is true I put into the market a specialty under the trade name of 'sweet quinine,' which is made of cinchonine. In doing this I have had a double motive. Of course, the first motive was pecuniary gainselfishness; the second motive was this: in looking at the history of the cinchona alkaloids, I find that there are quinine, quinidia, and cinchonine. Cinchonine has less oxygen in it than quinine has, but therapeutically they are identical. The discoverers of quinine, which was secondary to that of cinchonine, were, with their associates, business men, and they put quinine into the market as a business enterprise, to reap the fruits of their discovery as much as for any other reason. Quinine has become the fashion: it is no better than cinchonine or quinidia, but it has become the fashion. I purchased as a trade-mark the words 'sweet quinine,' with a view of making it available as a business enterprise. The intent was to use it as a benefit in making money, and to bring into use this alkaloid, cinchonia, which had hitherto been neglected. I felt justified, in looking the ground over, in adopting as much of the reputation of quinine as I possibly could to make it a saleable commodity, and in that fact lies my sin against the ethics of the association, and against the ethics of pharmacy. I looked the matter over reflectively, and I thought I was justified in doing as I did. Had I known that my action would produce the feeling it has done, I am free to avow now that I should not have brought myself into collision with the better members of the profession of pharmacy in the country, many of whom I have known. Those are the facts, and upon that ground I stand. What I have done, I have done; I don't hide it; I don't propose to shrink from it; and you have it as I got it. Now, as far as the justice of these resolutions brought up here is concerned and the penalty sought to be imposed upon me for this violation of the ethics of the association, I look upon it as a very severe measure. I don't think myself that the offence calls for any such penalty. Each of us, of course, must judge for himself in such matters. Whatever the society is disposed to do I must bow to, but the effect of such action upon me will be serious; that, it is needless to conceal. If I have lost the respect of the members of the association, that alone is a very serious thing for me. The business point of view is secondary, and of course no interest whatever to the association. My sense of justice, if this action is carried out, I am free to confess, is outraged. I cannot feel that I deserve any such extreme action as

this. Each of us, of course, has his standard; each one has the standard of morality his life gives him. I don't feel that I have sinned to that extent which requires any such action as that. That

I differ materially from the prominent members of the association, I have now ascertained. Justice, in the treatment of legal questions, is oftener the exponent of public revenge than of the Christian idea of correcting an evil, and it strikes me the true idea in this matter is, if the sense of the society is against me, to pass such action as will tend to correct the evil, or error, and not drive me out of the society. I make no pledges for the future whatever; what I have done I must be judged by, but I strongly protest against any such thing as this expulsion; I think the members can so frame their action as to suit a milder and more charitable view. However, the association can do as it pleases, and I must abide by its action."

CONFERENCE BANQUETS.

American Pharmaceutical Association, Chicago, 1870. Moved: "Whereas, The custom of giving expensive entertainments to visiting members by those residing at the place of meeting is at once onerous to the latter and detrimental to the interests of this Association; therefore

Resolved, That the local secretary be instructed that the members of this Association neither expect nor desire any special entertainment at the hands of the Baltimore members during our meeting there in 1870.

Mr. Bringhurst.-I think this will relieve the members from any effort or expense. Of course, if they choose to invite the Association to visit different places, that is one thing; but I think it will relieve the members of any especial effort or great expense, and will tend to break up this bad custom which we all feel is growing on us. Mr. Colcord.-I think the resolution is carefully worded; the Association does not 66 expect nor desire." I think that that expresses what we mean. We cannot vote not to receive their courtesies, but if we say that we do not expect nor desire them, it is sufficient.

Mr. Bringhurst.-I tried to word it to convey the meaning that we did not desire nor expect any special entertainment."

[This resolution fully expresses the sentiments of the fraternity in England. Unless this course be adopted in the infancy of the conference, that institution runs a perilous chance of never reaching manhood.]

SECTION II.

ENGLISH AND CONTINENTAL PHARMACY.

Amygdaline Powder for preparing the looch blanc of the Codex. (Union Méd.) M. Ch. Ménière furnishes the following: Take of sweet and bitter almonds the quantities indicated by the Codex. Make an emulsion, to which add 300 grammes of powdered sugar, and concentrate at a gentle heat; pour the paste into thin cakes, which must be dried in a stove, then reduce to powder; lastly add 5 grammes of gum tragacanth, and preserve.

To prepare a looch take

At the end of a few minutes a looch will be obtained, which, according to M. Ménière, leaves nothing to be desired.

Antiblennorhagic Injection. (Union Méd.) Dr. Rollet gives this formula :

Make a solution for injection, three or four times a day. Give at the same time the opiate of balsam of copaiba and cubebs.

Aqua Chlorinii Extemp. (American.)

B Potas. Chlorat.

Acid Muriat.

9ij.

Ziv.

When the bottle is nearly filled with chlorine vapours, add aquæ dest. 3j. Stopper the bottle, and when the crystals have dissolved, add distilled water up to one pint.

A similar preparation is prescribed by Mr. Beaman, of London, as a remedy for hay-fever. It is unstable.

Atropa Belladonna. Dr. D. W. Horment, in the Medical Record, New York, states that a solution of two drachms extract of belladonna in a fluid ounce of water, applied over the breast with a brush,