It seems a pity that the mere outward signs of education should receive so much time and attention whereas fundamental problems of grave importance are not even touched upon. Yet periodically this question of a proper label for our pharmaceutical graduates arises in the Association and apparently will not be downed. Let us rather discuss the ways and means as to how we can raise the standard of education to such a level that our graduates really deserve the title which institutions desire to bestow upon them. As sectional officers Oscar Oldberg of Chicago was elected Chairman and Jos. W. England, Secretary. George M. Beringer:- Why the Mann Bill should be enacted. W. H. Burke: Why the Mann Bill should not be enacted. (1) It would cripple and shackle American enterprise in the invention and discovery of synthetics; (2) it would force manufacturers to resort to secrecy in self-defense, and would thus enable them. like the so-called "patent medicine" proprietors, to establish permanent instead of limited monopolies; (3) it would bring into existence a number of brands of every product, and would thus greatly multiply the stock which the druggist is compelled to carry; (4) it is based upon the fundamental fallacy that there is any real distinction in effect between the process patent of Germany and product patent of America. E. G. Eberle: The anti-narcotic legislation of the year. Supplementing the secretary's report on new legislation, and being confined to a description and criticism of the anti-narcotic laws which have been enacted during the year in North Carolina, Minnesota, Missouri, Connecticut and Texas, with some reference also to three or four other measures which failed of success in different states. R. G. Eccles: - The effects upon the community of the use of preservatives in foods and beverages. It is held by the author that the use of preservatives has a salutary effect upon the public health in that it prevents that decomposition of foods which does more harm than can result from the use of preservative agents. Statistics are cited for the purpose of proving this hypothesis. F. E. Fisk: — The pharmacist, the physician and the hospital. Objection is made to the incorporation in the laws of several States of the four years' experience prerequisite in such manner that State boards of pharmacy can and do make the recognition of a school of pharmacy to depend upon whether or not it has this requirement for graduation." Thus it is that high-class schools are frequently denied recognition, whereas much less efficient institutions are granted it. C. S. N. Hallberg: - The nomenclature of proprietary medicines. The naming of proprietary medicines. Groups of synthetics and other proprietary articles. The lack of system in nomenclature. Scientific terminologies are necessary in all branches of art and science. The nomenclature of the U. S. P. Why is pharmaceutical terminology ignored? Scien tific nomenclature should be required of all medicines; it is the crux of the situation. Henry P. Hynson:* Why the doctorate degree should be settled upon in pharmacy. Because usage makes law, and the public is accustomed to consider the pharmacist a "doctor" like the practitioner of dentistry or medicine; because the title of doctor would tend to elevate the status of pharmacy: because the majority of students want this title: and because "Doctor of Pharmacy is "the most popular, the most appropriate, and the most hope * This paper was prepared at the request of the Chairman as an introd ction to a general discussion. ful degree for the apothecary." "Give us the clothes and we shall live up to them." It is argued that the question of entrance and curriculum standards need not be settled beforehand as a condition precedent: the requirements of the calling will gradually be elevated as they have been in medicine and dentistry, wholly irrespective of whatever degree may be employed. Edward Kremers:*- Why the doctorate degree should not be settled upon in pharmacy. It is pointed out that a movement towards the co-ordination of degrees is gradually taking place in the educational world; that the doctorate degree is more and more being restricted to three years of graduate work following a regular “Bachelor's" course of four years: that these are the requirements for the well-known degrees of "Doctor of Philosophy" and "Doctor of Science" that in the better institutions these requirements are also now established for the degree of "Doctor of Medicine;" and it is argued that it would be exceedingly unwise to confer the degree of "Doctor of Pharmacy" after a course of training so far short of these requirements. It would be contrary to the almost universal custom and would act like a boomerang in proving a detriment instead of a benefit. Clement B. Lowe: The sale of alcoholic liquors by pharmacists. The National Government should make a discrimination between the different classes who pay liquor taxes. Those who sell liquors as beverages might well pay the present $25.00 tax. but those who dispense them only on prescriptions or for medicinal purposes should not be compelled to pay over $5.00 annually. Furthermore, it is an indignity for the Government to brand the pharmacist as a saloon-keeper by compelling him to post a certificate declaring him to have paid "a special tax on the business of a retail liquor dealer. Oscar Oldberg: Trade training in pharmaceutical schools. Schools of pharmacy ought to make provision for giving their students familiarity with the manufactured products which they will afterwards be called upon to handle in the store. This includes products like "pharmaceutical preparations, rubber goods, glassware, surgical implements and appliances, dietetic preparations for infants and invalids, and many other articles for the sick room, the sanitary appointments for the home, etc." J. P. Remington: The new graduation prerequisite amendment in Pennsylvania. Giving the history of the movement for establishing the graduation › requirement in Pennsylvania, covering many years of agitation, and describing the nature and effect of the amendment to the existing pharmacy law finally secured at the last session of the legislature. Scientific Section. The strength of this section was again demonstrated by the number and quality of the papers presented to it. Among the list given below will be found papers by two honorary members who are residents of Germany, also one by a regular member now a resident of England. These authors have now repeatedly favored us with their contributions so that the work of this Section has assumed a more than merely national character. The special feature of this year's activity of the Scientific Section, however, consisted in the delivery of an address on radium by Professor Charles Baskerville of the University of the City of New York. Aside from the highly instructive information imparted by This paper was prepared at the request of the Chairman as an introduction to a general discussion. the lecturer in a very interesting and popular manner, the lecture in itself was of special import. While those pharmaceutical practitioners who attend the annual meetings regularly know full well that the "scientific professors" are by no means the only persons who take part in the deliberations of the Association, that they even stay away from some of the sectional meetings in order that their presence may not give rise to misconceived notions, the reading of technical papers before some of the sections appeals naturally much more to the investigator than to the practitioner. This is especially true of the Scientific Section and many members have, therefore, persuaded themselves that they are not interested in scientific subjects. To disabuse the minds of these men of such a notion was in itself a valuable service which the lecturer rendered American pharmacy. We trust that this feature of this year's programme may become thoroughly established at our annual meetings. While contributions from governmental departments are not new in this section, their number and importance are decidedly on the increase as will be seen from the list below. While we are pleased to note that the national government is at last beginning to recognize the importance of pharmaceutical problems, the Association has given expression to its appreciation, by the adoption of a set of resolutions, in which it expresses its appreciation of the work done at Washington, of the papers read and of the exhibits made at Atlantic City. The A. Ph. A. should not fail to impress the proper authorities at Washington with the desirability not only of continuing the work already begun, but also of its extension wherever feasible. One of the special features of this year's programme was the discussion of the proper use and disabuse of preservatives. Unfortunately this is a subject on which almost everybody can say something without special knowledge. Moreover, inasmuch as final proof on many details is still wanting, the "insignificant" question of right and wrong is still a matter of personal opinion rather than of scientific proof. As a result even scientists are often divided into two opposing camps, and since some of these appear from time to time as experts for highly capitalized industries the element of suspicion enters into the opponent's feelings and the discussions have a tendency to be acrimonious as well as verbose. The A. Ph. A. has not only an interest in this very important problem now before the public at large, it has also a duty. That it should go on record, possibly no one who thinks candidly about the matter will deny. That it should avoid waste of precious time by the discussion of technical details concerning which but extremely few members even of the Scientific Section are posted as experts seems equally true and important. The fundamental principles only of this large problem should come up before this Section, the details to be worked out as time goes on by those who are making a special study of the chemistry and physiology of food and of related subjects. Of this class of experts we have practically none in our Association at present. In this connection attention should be directed to the paper by H. H. Rusby on the adulteration of drugs. During the discussion the fact was brought out that those drugs which are imported under their proper names receive the necessary attention on part of the government, but that those which are imported under disguise, i. e., those which need watching most of all, do not even come within the scope of the inspector's duties. A pretty state of affairs indeed which is an outrage to the common sense of the American people. As its officers for the coming year the Scientific Section elected Chas. E. Caspari of St. Louis, Mo., as Chairman, and Daniel Base of Baltimore as Secretary. H. V. Arny of Cleveland was selected by them as their associate. It is an incident worth calling attention to that both officers are graduates of John Hopkins University, the alumni of which institution are possibly for the first time represented on the list of officers of the A. Ph. A. A list of papers read follows: H. V. Arny: - Estimation of caseine (A preliminary study). Precipitation with 1-20 normal solution of alum is satisfactory for rough work, but end of reaction is too obscure for accurate results; the only indicator, hæmatoxylin, not being sufficiently sensitive. Precipitation of caseine with ferric alum solution, using potassium ferrocyanide and sulphocyanate solutions as the "spotting" indicator, was tried. No coloration at moment of complete precipitation; in fact, not until all the albumin was converted into soluble ferric albuminate. Addition of acids prevents formation of the albuminate and causes coloration at about the point of complete precipitation of caseine, but at best end reaction is obscure. Feasible process consists in mixing a definite amount of decinormal ferric alum solution with a definite amount of milk, estimating the amount of ferric alum in an aliquot part of the filtrate, by treatment with potassium iodide, hydrochloric acid and titration with decinormal sodium thiosulphate. and from figures calculated the amount of ferric alum required for precipitation of the milk. I. W. Brandel and Edward Kremers: Plant pigments, with special reference to the Quinhydrone Hypothesis of plant pigmentation. This monograph is the outcome of several years work which had its beginning in the discovery of thymoquinone, hydrothymoquinone and thymoquinhydrone in the oil of Monarda fistulosa. The introductory part consists of an historical review of the various hypotheses concerning plant pigments. practically all of which were based on little or no experimental evidence and equally devoid of an exact chemical basis. The first half of the paper is devoted to a chemical classification of all known plant pigments of known structure by referring them to their underlying hydrocarbons and the classification of the latter primarily according to their degree of saturation. Some remarkable analogies have been revealed and generalizations as to color and constitution are given. The second half is devoted to a botanical classification of plant pigments which not only gives some idea of the scope of the work done, but shows analogies that should be helpful in indicating the way for the future investigator. Still more. long known facts that had been waiting for a rational interpretation become transparent when viewed from the point of view of the quinhydrone hypothesis. Charles E. Caspari and Leo Suppan:- An expeditious method for the determination of arsenic trioxide. The odometric methods at present in use for the determination of arsenic trioxide involve a loss of time if the trioxide is dissolved at ordinary temperatures in sodium bicarbonate or an error due to the action of iodine on sodium carbonate which is formed from the bicarbonate if solution is effected at higher temperatures. The method described in this paper seeks to eliminate these difficulties and enables the determination of arsenic trioxide to bey carried out in tea minutes with a maximum error of 0.2 per cent. A. C. Crawford: — Pharmacological notes on two American plants. Aqueous extract of Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) given by mouth increases salivary secretion and causes vomiting, retching, paralysis and death. Post mortem shows hemorrhages into intestinal walls or mere vascular congestion. Action suggests in some respects pilocarpine group and the possibility of substitution medicinally, perhaps, after modification of principle of laurel considered. Exhibition of photographs and physiological records. Fluid extract or aqueous extract of Mistletoe (Phoradendron flavescens) injected directly into vein of dog causes marked rise in blood pressure with rapid heart beat and increased urinary action. By mouth the action is uncertain. H. M. Gordin: On the crystalline alkaloid of calycanthus glaucus. Second paper. The subject of this paper is a continuation of the research upon calycanthine, the active alkaloid of Calycanthus glaucus. In a previous paper the preparation and analysis of calycanthine and its salts with the halogen acids and chloroplatinic acid were given. In the present paper the preparation and analysis of the salts of calycanthine with oxyacids, with chlorauric acid and mercuric chloride are described as well as the first attempts to get some idea of the constitution of the alkaloid. The salts prepared are as follows: A neutral and an acid sulphate, a nitrate, a picrate, a chloraurate, two oxalates and a double salt of calyc. anthine hydrochloride and mercuric chloride. The sulphates, the nitrate, the pierate and the neutral oxalate were found to have the normal condition. The acid oxalate, the cloraurate and the mercury salt have an abnormal composition, all containing an excess of base or of its hydrochloride. No tartrates could be obtained in form suitable for analysis. It is shown that the alkaloid is a secondary base forming a nitrosomaine when treated with nitrous acid. It also contains a methyl group attached to an nitrogen atom. The alkaloid forms a sulphonic acid when treated with strong sulphuric acid and gives several methyl derivatives when treated with methyl iodide. Of these one is a quaternary base not precipitable by sodium carbonate from the aqueous solution of its salts. In order to arrive at a proper understanding of the amount of adulteration in chemicals, it is necessary to clearly define what is meant by adulteration. Gross, deliberate sophistications of chemicals by manufacturers, jobbers and brokers do not. in the experience of the writer, amount to one per cent. If, however, those chemicals are classed as adulterated which do |