Pharmacy, if it is to progress, will have to move forward with advance of general education and of applied science.

If it is to take up its position with other professional bodies it must bring its final qualification up to University and Continental standards. If we cannot differentiate between the druggist and the dispensing pharmacist, we can at least endeavour to evolve a higher type of pharmacist on the lines suggested.

You will doubtless say that to carry all these things into effect will require an earthquake or a volcano. You will remind me that volcanoes are now extinct in this country, or regulated by formula to erupt only with mild propriety. But, at any rate, they may be considered as some of the " possibilities of the future," and an attempt can be made to bring them nearer to the realm of to-day.

The President of the Society has outlined in his recent memorandum a scheme for organising its members and associates into properly constituted associations which shall function. as Local Branches of the Society.

Two important objects of these Local Branches are:(1) To watch the professional interests of pharmacists. (2) To promote papers upon scientific, technical, and educational subjects.

It is just here, in these Local Associations, that the professional spirit of pharmacy should be re-awakened, and discussions encouraged upon various topics initiated by the Society, and possibly assisted by official speakers. To mention a few of these subjects the following might be cited:

(1) Elementary education required for registration. (2) Conditions of apprenticeship.

(3) The curriculum of study for the Qualifying Examination. (4) The future scope of the Major Examination.

(5) The question of granting a Fellowship of the Society to those who proceed to the Major Examination.

(6) The work of the Ministry of Health and the duties pharmacists should be called upon to render. The separation of prescribing from dispensing.

(8) The representation of pharmacists upon the Pharmacopoeia Revision Committee.

(9) The disadvantage of encouraging the sale and prescribing of medicines of unknown composition.

(10) The stimulation of practical pharmacists to contribute original work in the compilation of the British Pharmaceutical Codex.

All these subjects are well within the scope of the professional side of pharmacy, and discussions upon these matters within Local Associations would doubtless prove of great value. These Associations or Local Branches of the Society could appoint delegates to an Annual Conference or Federation, which would then focus the considered opinion of their mem'bers upon professional matters.

A CONFERENCE OF TEACHERS.

Then, again, the various schools of pharmacy would greatly benefit much by an interchange of ideas, experience, and methods between the heads of their different departments. An annual conference of such teachers could take place with the object of promoting, and advancing the interests of pharmaceutical education. Papers could be read upon such subjects as the present syllabus, how it can best be made to conform, as far as Part I is concerned, to the teaching now existing in the technical schools-the equipment necessary for the successful handling of the subjects-the programme of work and the hours that should be spent upon the various subjects-what subjects should be included in the Major or Fellowship Examination, and what schools would be prepared to undertake the teaching for this Examination. And why should not such a conference be used in our own Conference Week?

A PLEA FOR A COMPREHENSIVE CONFERENCE. This brings me to my last point. The British Pharmaceutical Conference has done, and is doing, a great work in stimulating

research and maintaining a high standard of scientific pharmacy. It has for over fifty years annually brought together pharmacists and others interested in pharmacy from all parts of the United Kingdom and Ireland, and oft times has welcomed those from the Overseas Dominions.

It has published a Year Book of Pharmacy, of which it may well be proud.

It has received year by year the hearty welcome and enjoyed the unstinted hospitality of the Local Committee, and especially of the municipal authorities of the cities at which its annual meetings haye been held.

It has been a reunion of those who for the most part have been imbued with a true professional spirit.

It has received delegates from Local Associations, and has frequently discussed educational problems. Cannot the Conference absorb within its constitution and administration the suggested Federation of Local Associations and the Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers?

Has the Conference the necessary authority and funds? Has not the time arisen when we should consider its future relationship with other bodies which have the same objects in view?

One of my dreams is of a central unifying association which shall bring together and co-ordinate those forces of which I have been speaking. The union of these forces-education, qualification, research, and professional conduct should result in the evolution of a real profession of pharmacy, which, co-existent and interdependent with medicine, should work for the advancement of the health of the great nation to which we belong. Some of you may say—

Mr. F. RANSOM said that as Senior Past-President of the Conference the honour fell to him of proposing the vote of thanks to the President for his address, although he lacked the humour of a Naylor or the eloquence of a Druce to enable him to do justice to the subject. He and Mr. Peck had acted together on the Board of Examiners, and had been Joint Secretaries of previous Conferences. On all occasions the President's tact and energy had been supreme, and had resulted in the greatest success attending his work not only in pharmacy, but in the many other activities in which he had been engaged. It was not the duty of the proposer of the vote of thanks to criticise the subject-matter of a Presidential Address, but he would venture to express his appreciation of the I'resident's remarks with regard to a revision of the Pharmacopoeial Committee, and ho hoped that they would be attended with favourable results.

He was sure that as a result of the address the professional and educational side of pharmacy would receive a stimulus, and that the President's aspirations with respect to the institution of a university course would be realised.

Mr. C. A. HILL, in seconding the motion, said that any man who wrote a Presidential Address was deserving of pity, and that any President who composed so admirable an address as Mr. Peck's was deserving of hearty thanks. The President had endeavoured successfully to crystallise the colloidal question of the professional and business aspects of pharmacy. The address was suggestive, illuminating, and practical. It would afford as great pleasure to those who read it in the printed form as to the members who had listened to its verbal delivery. The motion was then put and carried with great enthusiasm.

The PRESIDENT briefly expressed his thanks, and intimated that as the Mayor was about to depart he was sure the Conference would wish to give him a hearty round of applause as an intimation of their appreciation of his kind welcome and his presence at the Conference. This was accorded in heartiest fashion, members rising to their feet and cheering his Worship as he passed through the hall.

At this stage it was announced that the ladies were free to leave to join the excursion. This was followed by an exodus of nearly all the ladies and by many members of the male sex.

List of Delegates.

Mr. BENNETT next read out the following list of delegates, who had been appointed to attend the Conference :Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. Miss M. E. Buchanan, Messrs., F. E. Bilson, W. L. Currie, F. G. Hines, A. R. Keith, A. R. Melhuish, L. M. Parry, P. F. Rowsell, J. Pilkington Sargeant, H. Skinner, E. White, H. Wolff, J. P. Gilmour, Sir W. S. Glyn Jones. Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (North British Branch).-Messrs. James Jack, T. Guthrie, Walter G. McNab, John B. McVitae. Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland.-Mr. J. E. Connor, Dr. J. A. Walsh, Messrs. John Smith, A. Owen Wells.

Birmingham Pharmaceutical Association.-Messrs. J. W.. Atkinson,
E. W. Mann, J. Poole, H. Buckingham, F. Smith.
Ealing and District Pharmacists' Association.-Mr. T. Marns.
Hull Pharmacists' Association.-Messrs. T. H. Newton and W. G. Bennett.
Liverpool Chemists' Association.-Messrs. W. H. Clubb, A. W. Ashcroft,

H. Humphreys Jones, W. H. Saunders, J. Paley, D. H. Evans, H.
Wyatt, L. M. Parry, Martin Hughes, J. Ferriday, J. L. Hirst, W. P.
Evans, Prysor Jones, J. H. Robinson, and Dr. C. Symes.

London County Pharmaceutical Association.-Messrs. A. R. Keith, A. R.
Melhuish, J. Milner, C. A. Noble, W. E. D. Shirtliff, W. B. Trick,
H. S. Watson.

London (North) Pharmaceutical Association.-Messrs. H. Skinner and H. G. Mumford.

London (South-East) Chemists' Association.-Mr. A. Goldthorpe.

London (Western) Pharmacists' Association.-Messrs. H. S. Watson, C. A. Noble, W. E. D. Shirtliff, J. P. Ellerington, A. R. Melhuish, G. A. Tocher.

Manchester Pharmaceutical Association.-Messrs. W. Kirkby, A. J. Pidd. F. W. Bates, J. Cleworth, J. Grier, D. Dickson, and T. E. Eastwood. Middlesex Pharmaceutical Association.-Messrs. T. Marns, H. Skinner, and H. Wolff.

North Devon Association of Pharmacists.-Mr. W. J. Shepperd.
Northumberland Pharmaceutical Association.-Mr. George Foggan.
Nottingham Pharmaceutical Association.-Messrs. E. C. Carr and J. H.
Godson.

Oxford and District Chemists' Association.-Alderman C. Clayton, Messrs.
J. Dolbear and F. K. Loxley.
Association.-Messrs. W. A. Bell and A. B.

Portsmouth Pharmacists'

Sparrow.

Public Pharmacists' Association. Mr. H. Antcliffe. Scarborough and North Riding Association of Pharmacists.-Messrs. A. Scott and G. Whitfield.

Scarborough Junior Pharmacy Club.-Messrs. H. R. Allanson and H. M.
Hirst.

Sheffield Pharmaceutical and Chemical Society.-Messrs. H. Antoliffe, J. T.
Appleton, H. N. Greenfield, J. G. Jackson, and H. G. Williams.
South Wales and Monmouthshire Pharmacists' Local Associations Federation.
-Mr. F. D. Phillips.

Wallasey Pharmacists' Association. -Messrs. J. G. Duncan, R. G. Govier, and C. Wherly.

West Riding County Pharmacists' Association.-Messrs. J. T. Appleton, J. P. Norwood, and H. C. Roberis.

Wolverhampton and District Chemists' Association.-Messrs. H. Oakley and S. Phillips,

Apologies for Absence.

Apologies for absence were intimated from Miss M. E. Buchanan, Dr. W. H. Martindale, Dr. D. Hooper, Professor Smithells, Professor Morgan, Dr. G. Claridge Druce, and Messrs. E. T. Brewis, F. Browne, F. C. J. Bird, C. E. Corfield, W. L. Currie, C. Davis, W. P. Evans, T. Guthrie, W. G. Hughes, E. M. Holmes, A. R. Melhuish, W. A. H. Naylor, E. T. Neathercoat, F. Southerden, W. F. Wells, and R. Wright.

Telegram to Mr. E. M. Holmes.

The PRESIDENT intimated that on behalf of the Conference he proposed to despatch a telegram to Mr. E. M. Holmes, expressing the Conference's regret at his inability to attend the meeting.

The Annual Report.

The following annual report of the Executive Committee of the Conference was read by Mr. BENNETT:

A

During the past session your Executive Committee has held five ordinary meetings and one special meeting. meeting of the Research Sub-Committee has been held to revise the Research List, and other Sub-Committee meetings have been held for special business. The total number of members on the register is now 1055. Since the last annual meeting eighty-four new members have been elected. The Executive regrets to record the death of twelve members, of whom two were honorary members. Mr. A. G. Surfleet has been appointed Local Corresponding Secretary for Hull, and Mr. H. W. Thomas, of Calcutta, has been appointed Honorary Secretary for Bengal.

In the last annual report reference was made to the draft scheme for Pharmaceutical Research submitted by Mr. William Kirkby. The Executive has to report that

a joint meeting of the Conference Research Sub-Committee and Delegates from the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society was held in October, 1920, at which the following resolution was passed:

That the present position of pharmaceutical research in this country is unsatisfactory, and that an interview should be sought with the Ministry of Health with the object of eliciting their views upon the establishment of a scheme of pharmaceutical search.

re

A letter embodying this resolution was forwarded to the Ministry of Health, and the receipt of this was acknowledged by Dr. Addison's private secretary, but no further communication has so far been received.

A number of meetings of the Harrison Memorial Fund Joint Committee, composed of members of the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society and the members of your Executive, have been held, and this matter forms the subject of a separate report.

The balance-sheet with receipts and expenditure for 1920 has been circulated to members, and will be referred to by the Honorary Treasurer at this meeting. In this connection the Executive desires heartily to thank the Liverpool Committee for a generous gift of £56 15s. 2d. from the surplus of their Conference funds.

The Year Book of Pharmacy for 1920 contains rather more than 600 pages, of which 347 pages are occupied by abstracts. The total cost of printing, publishing, binding and distribution amounted to approximately £575. A Sub-Committee was appointed in April last for the purpose of discussing plans for effecting economies in the cost of the Year Book, which during the past few years has proved to be a serious charge upon the financial resources of the Conference. The Sub-Committee has given careful consideration to a number of suggestions, and a report containing recommendations, which it is hoped will reduce the cost without lessening the value of the book, has been submitted and approved by the Executive. The Executive are very pleased to report that at the present meeting an invitation will be given by the Nottingham Pharmaceutical Association to hold the annual meeting of the Conference in Nottingham next year.

The cordial thanks of the Conference are again due to the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society for kindly providing a room for the meetings of the Executive Committee, and also for presenting reprints of the papers to be read at this meeting. In the latter connection our best thanks are also due to the Editor of The Pharmaceutical Journal and Pharmacist.

Mr. F. PILKINGTON SARGEANT, in moving the adoption of the report, said that he did so with great pleasure, especially as it was such a satisfactory report. The questions of pharmaceutical research and pharmaceutical scholarships were being taken in hand by the Council. They had every hope of making next year's Conference at Nottingham as successful as the present meeting promised to be.

Mr. JAMES JACK, in seconding the motion, also expressed his pleasure at the satisfactory character of the report. He recalled that the previous meeting at Nottingham was one of the most successful conferences that he had attended. He hoped that the next meeting would be held in the same month as the present, when the weather was usually not as hot as they had experienced at the last Nottingham meeting, which was held in August. They in the North were accustomed to rather warm surroundings, and they liked when they came South to have the opportunity to reside in a cooler atmosphere. The report was adopted.

Financial Statement.

Mr. D. LLOYD HOWARD said that members had already been supplied with copies of the financial statement. It would be noticed that a deficit of £80 was shown. This was due to the heavy expenditure on the Year Book. During recent years it had been impossible to budget for the cost of the Year Book, as the cost of its production could not be ascertained beforehand. While the figures were on the face of them disappointing, the situation was not so bad as appeared. This year the printers were able to make an estimate for the book, and would probably be able to revise the estimate favourably in a few months. Referring to the increased subscription, he said that the appeal to members to give a guinea instead of half-aguinea had been generously responded to. It was intended to maintain the Year Book at its high standard of efficiency, and it was worth a guinea at least. The anonymous donation, which could be applied to any purpose likely to be of benefit to pharmacy, had been increased to £80. The Executive were in negotiation with the Inland Revenue authorities for the purpose

of recovering income tax. With regard to the B.P.C. Research Fund, there was a balance of £18 12s. in hand, and applications for its utilisation would be welcomed.

The PRESIDENT, having intimated that the statement was open for discussion,

Mr. J. D. MARSHALL expressed the hope that the deficit would be made up, and that the guinea subscription would be more generally adopted.

Mr. ANTCLIFFE said that he subscribed to the Treasurer's remarks. If all the members looked upon the Conference with the same feeling of appreciation as he experienced it would be held in very high esteem.

Mr. APPLETON said that he was ensconced in a comfortable far corner of the room, and had not heard the full gist of the Treasurer's remarks. He understood, however, that the adverse balance was due to the publication of the Year Book. He proposed that the book should not be sent to each individual member of the Conference. Many of them never opened or read it. It would be better to send copies to the headquarters of Local Associations. By adopting this measure of economy, the balance would be made larger.

Mr. MALTBY CLAGUE expressed strong disapproval of Mr. Appleton's suggestion. The Year Book was a most valuable asset, and was thoroughly appreciated by members. Personally, he had the complete set, and treasured the volumes. He hoped that the Treasurer would take no notice of Mr. Appleton's suggestion.

The PRESIDENT said that after the crushing remarks of the last speaker he must say a word in defence of Mr. Appleton, inasmuch as the Executive welcomed all suggestions if they were put forward in the right spirit.

The report was adopted.

The Harrison Memorial Fund.

The PRESIDENT next read the following report of the committee appointed to administer the Harrison Memorial Fund :

The Joint Committee of the Pharmaceutical Society and the British Pharmaceutical Conference constituted for the purpose of suitably perpetuating the memory of the late Edward Frank Harrison, received from various contributors throughout the country the sum of £565, and at its meeting in February last it was resolved that the amount should be allocated as follows:

(a) A sum not exceeding £200 for the provision of a medallion plaque to be presented to the Pharmaceutical Society for permanent emplacement in the premises of the Society.

(b) A sum which should be sufficient to provide in trust for an annual medal to be known as the Harrison Memorial Medal, to be given to a qualified pharmacist of not more than five years' standing, whose contribution to the chemistry of drugs shall be deemed to be the most important of the year.

(c) That the remainder of the subscriptions received be invested in trust and the income applied in such a way as may be deemed most fitting for the purpose of perpetuating the memory of E. F. Harrison.

The foregoing resolutions have been acted upon and the medallion plaque is in process of execution. I am able to present a sketch of the medallion to give some idea of the permanent memorial in the Society's house. The Council of the Society has been good enough to accept the suggestions of the Joint Committee, and to allot a place for the memorial in the Examination Hall. With regard to the investment of the subscriptions, it has been resolved to ask the Pharmaceutical Society to act as the trustees and to nominate three members of the Society, in associa tion with three members nominated by the British Pharma. ceutical Conference, to form the Adjudicating Committee to make the awards. The necessary trust deed is now being drawn up, and I have to acknowledge the indebted. ness of the committee to Mr. Kirby, of Messrs. Neve, Beck and Kirby, for his kindness in offering to undertake the requisite drafting. Care will be taken in the deed to vary the conditions of the award if occasion should require, but the variations are to be always consistent with the objects of the trust.

The PRESIDENT added that those members of the Conference who, on their way to Scarborough, had paid a visit to York Minster, might have noticed the memorial erected in that building to Admiral Craddock. The medallion plaque mentioned in the report was designed on the same lines as that commemorating the memory of Admiral Craddock,

SCIENCE SECTION.

TUESDAY MORNING.

The reading of the papers communicated for the Science Section was next commenced. The first was:

The Ether-Solubility of Scammony Resin,

by HAROLD DEANE and W. E. EDMONTON, and was read by Mr. HAROLD DEANE.

The official requirement is that not less than 75 per cent. of scammony resin should be soluble in ether. It has already been shown that differences in manipulation produce very varying results. The authors point out an important fact in this determination, namely, that the larger the quantity of ether used, the less resin is dissolved, and, further, that digestion for at least forty-eight hours is necessary. The results of a number of workers on the subject are commented on, and the authors agree with Guigues, who states that the purity, and the proportion of the ether used, has a great effect on the result, and that even when a method analytically satisfactory has been adopted the results have no value as a test of purity or quality. Even small amounts of impurities present in commercial B.P. ether have an appreciable effect on the result. The paper is printed in full at page 469.

DISCUSSION.

Mr. RANSOM remarked on the wide divergencies in the results of the examination of the same sample by different methods. He presumed that Mexican scammony had been used throughout. Ether, 0.720, might simply be B.P. or purified ether, and, as had been shown, the estimation results would vary according to the degree of purity of the ether. He would like to hear what Mr. Dott had to say on the subject. He had had some experience of the examination of jalap for jalapin, and had found that there were material discrepancies between the results got by different analysts.

Mr. C. A. HILL said the experimental results were bound to vary according to the alcohol content of the ether. He would like to know what objection there was to the mixing of the powdered drug with sand and the extraction of the resin in the Soxhlet apparatus.

Mr. Dorr said that for experimental purposes the ether should be of a definite degree of purity. Work on solubilities of various substances in ether had created much confusion, because some of it had been done with the old 0.735 ether and the weaker U.S.P. compound. They might have a 0.720 other which contained methyl oxide which, being of a lower specific gravity than ethyl oxide, masked the presence of alcohol. In his view, too much importance was attached to the test of the solubility of medicinal substances in ether.

Mr. FINNEMORE asked Mr. Hill if, as a member of the B.P. Research Committee, he could explain how the Pharmacopoeia Committee came to adopt the solubility test, and Mr. Hill might also inform the meeting if the Soxhlet extraction method gave concordant results.

Mr. C. A. HILL replied that he had found that method quite reliable, but he had always used an ether of constant boiling point. There were no pharmacists on the Pharmacopoeia Revision Committee.

Mr. FOURACRE asked if the ether itself was really a solvent at all, because the latest theory was that the anaesthetic action attributed to ether was due to the impurities in it.

Mr. SLEGGS asked why a small quantity of ether was a better solvent of scammony resin than a larger quantity.

Mr. DEANE said he had tried Mr. Hill's method, but without the addition of sand to the powdered resin, but the resin became so sticky as to be unworkable. There could be no doubt that the presence of impurities in B.P. ether materially altered its properties. As regards the proportion of solvent to solvend, there were many cases in which a small amount of solvent was more powerful than a larger. For. example, a strong percolate was a better extraction of cascara bark than a weak one.

The author was cordially thanked for his paper.
The next paper was on

The Determination of Formaldehyde and Paraformaldehyde in
Tablets,

by NORMAN EVERS and C. M. CAINES.

The method of Hampshire and Furnival has not been satisfactory in the authors' hands. By its means only about half the theoretical amount of formaldehyde was recoverable. The use of the colour produced by Schiff's reagent appears to ensure accuracy of result. The authors give full directions for making the reagent and for carrying out the process of estimation. The paper is printed in full at page 470.

DISCUSSION.

The PRESIDENT described the paper as a most interesting and practical one, which brought out effectively the necessity for a standard strength of a preparation of a drug, which was quite as important as the purity of the drug itself.

Mr. HAMPSHIRE, referring to previous work done by him on the same subject, said that he had found the steam distillation method satisfactory. But all he could say at present was that there was a conflict of experience. The authors' method seemed to answer very well. The presence of lactose was no bar to the action of Schiff's reagent. When he investigated the subject he found considerable variations in the formaldehyde tablets, some being deficient in it as much as 50 per cent.

Mr. MOON said he was sure most of the loss of formaldehyde qccurred after making, and this was borne out by the fact that some of the worst samples had been obtained from retailers.

Mr. CHERRY asked if there was not some method of fixing the formaldehyde in some loose chemical combination, as evidently it was hardly possible to make the tablets of full strength, much less to keep them without deterioration.

Mr. GAMBLE said the authors had struck the right note in upholding quality. There was no reflection on the makers. What was required was a simple and effective method of determining the formaldehyde content of tablets and lozenges. The proposed method was not exactly simple, but if effective it would fulfil a highly useful purpose. What purported to be a patent implied that formaldehyde combined with lactose. The use of paraformaldehyde prevented loss by volatilisation, but it was for the clinician to say whether it was as effective in this form as paraldehyde itself As to the question whether in the making and for keeping purposes the tablet or the moulded lozenge was superior, theory pointed to the advantage being with the lozenge, which it was inferred might enclose the formaldehyde more firmly. Both forms of medicament had to be dried. The matter was one for investigation.

Mr. FINNEMORE suggested that in the revision of the B.P. Codex the subject should be followed up, so that in the next edition the conditions under which tablets should be made would be prescribed. It was also important to ascertain if parafor maldehyde was equal in medicinal virtue to formaldehyde. There was not always the loss of volatile medicating substances on drying that might be expected. Chloroform was well retained in lozenges containing it.

Mr. NUTTER SMITH stated that he had found it necessary to use, an excess of formaldehyde in the manufacture of tablets. Because of the gum in them, lozenges retained more formalde hyde than tablets, because, in addition to the loss from the latter through drying, there was loss in the granulating process. It was theoretically improbable that there should be any interaction between formaldehyde and lactose. It was said that this hypothetical compound was hydrolysed in contact with saliva and other bodily secretions and liberated formaldehyde. As to the presence of citric acid in tablets, he would like to know if this interfered with the method proposed by the authors.

Mr. CHERRY asked if the oxidation to which aldehydes were liable might not be the cause of the deterioration?

Mr. EVERS, in reply, stated that his collaborator and himself had thoroughly tested Hampshire's method, but could not get satisfactory results. Lactose affected iodine, but not Schiff's reagent. He had no experience of the loss of formaldehyde from tablets on keeping, but in the making as much as twothirds of the quantity used might be dissipated. He did not. know what was the precise antiseptic value of formaldehyde liberated in the mouth. Citric acid had no effect on Schiff's reagent.

The PRESIDENT, in moving a vote of thanks to the authors, which was heartily accorded, described the communication as a highly practical one.

The next communication, on

The Titration of Certain Alkaloids,

by NORMAN EVERS, was read by the author.

The indicators ordinarily employed for the titration of the alkaloids morphine, quinine and atropine, are not the most suitable for the titrations. From measurement of the hydrogen ion concentration of the solutions of the pure hydrochlorides, it was found that brom-phenol blue is a better indicator to use for morphihe, atropine, and the neutral salts of quinine. For the acid salts of quinine, methyl red is the most suitable indicator. paper is printed in full at page 470.

DISCUSSION.

The

The PRESIDENT said that while in the nature of the case the paper was fairly stiff, it was extremely important, since it brought into question the validity of the accepted methods of estimating alkaloids.

Mr. JONES deprecated insistence on extreme accuracy.

It

should suffice to arrive at a constant within reasonable physiological limits. As regards hydrogen ion concentration, it was always the same in dilutions of normal solutions. We preferred to titrate the substance direct against the volumetric solution at a given concentration.

Mr. MOON warmly congratulated the author on his excellent paper. He (the speaker) had always found that in the estimation of alkaloids the chief difficulty was the indistinctness of the end-point in the reaction with the indicator. It was essential that in these estimations the method should get as near to absolute accuracy as possible.

Mr. RUTHERFORD HILL said that the paper raised an exceedingly important and practical issue. They had also to take personality into account. In a case known to him of twelve competent analysts to whom portions of the same sample were submitted for analysis, no two entirely agreed in their reports. Titration was a valuable method provided it was trustworthy, and if only it were applied according to a co-ordinated system, but at present, as each manufacturer probably devised some modification for himself, there was no generally applied method of standardisation. If such uniformity were attained, all variants could be displaced. He did not understand Mr. Jones to suggest any serious deviation from accuracy. What he (the speaker) took him to mean was that attention to minute detail or a demand for mathematical accuracy were in excess of what was actually required. But whatever the method the factor of personality remained.

Mr. SHEPHEARD pointed out that the colour-sense varied in different individuals, and asked if this was taken sufficiently into account in colorimetric methods.

Mr. H. DEANE asked if brom-phenol blue of the requisite degree of purity and sensitiveness was readily procurable. He agreed with Mr. Rutherford Hill that personality was often a differential factor. It was open to analysts to vary the B.P. or other tests, provided that it made no appreciable difference in the results.

Mr. HAMPSHIRE said the Conference was greatly indebted to the author for demonstrating the applicability of the Hydrogen ion principle to pharmaceutical work. On titrating back sodium chloride was present along with the morphine hydrochloride, and he would like to know if this interfered with the colour reaction. He would prefer direct titration. If the analytical applications of the Hydrogen ion concentration were to be extended, as there was every reason to expect, it would furnish a new problem for teachers of pharmacy, and add a new terror to examinations. For, instead of a few indicators, the student would be called upon to get up a long list of indicators each indicator applicable only to a given Hydrogen ion concentration. The subject was a complicated one, and came within the sphere of the specialist.

a

Mr. GAMBLE thought the paper should be viewed from broader base. In the past these methods of volumetric estimation had been somewhat crude. The knowledge of the effect of Hydrogen ion concentration on many reactions, as in the separation of albumen from whey, was of much practical technical value. He submitted that the subject was difficult only because of its terminology. It had a future, because of the increasing importance of accuracy, and he believed the method was destined to revolutionise many chemical and manufacturing operations.

Mr. D. LLOYD HOWARD, referring to his own laboratory experience years ago, said that he had encountered considerable difficulty in the volumetric estimation of quinine, and generally it was unsatisfactory. There was need for a quick and effective method. The effect of personality was often such that while one operator got results consistent with his own, these were invariably discordant with those of other workers. He took it that the author of the paper worked with a carefully purified salt, and added that he would like to know if he applied his method to the other cinchona alkaloids.

Mr. EVERS, in replying, contested the impression that the Hydrogen ion concentration method added further complication to analytical work. Provided the strength of the solution to be tested was about 1 per cent., it was well within the range of the appropriate indicator. Titration of the substance against the volumetric solution answered well enough if the former was pure, but not otherwise, and anyone with experi ence had no difficulty in being able to distinguish shades of colour. In reply to Mr. Deane, brom-phenol blue of the requisite quality was now easily obtainable. As the sodium chloride was completely ionised it had no effect on the reaction. Excess of acid could be safely used, bringing back with alkali. He had no experience of any salts of the cinchona alkaloids except quinine.

The author was cordially thanked for his paper.

The next paper on

The Analysis of Theobromine Sodium Salicylate. by C. T. BENNETT and F. B. WINDLE, was, in the absence of the authors, read by Mr. Hampshire.

The respective requirements of the British Pharmacopoeia and the United States Pharmacopoeia are set forth. The process for the estimation of the theobromine is nearly the same in both Pharmacopoeias, but there are points of difference in the two methods. The authors suggest a suitable modification of the B.P. process for the estimation of the salt, emphasising the point that strict attention to details must be given. The paper is printed in full at page 472.

The authors were thanked for their paper.

The next paper,

Note on Liquefied Carbolic Acid.

by C. T. BENNETT, was, in the absence of the author, read by Mr. Hampshire.

The author urges the advisability of making liquefied phenol by adding 20 Gms. of water to 100 Gms. of phenol. This has a sp. gr. of 1.064 and a melting point, after freezing, of 6:5° C, The paper is printed in full at page 472.

The PRESIDENT said the paper treated of a subject of special interest to all pharmacists in retail business, and invited an expression of opinion upon it.

Mr. MELLOR cited some instances of the danger arising from the crystallising out of the phenol from the solution when the usual percentage of water was used. There was certainly a need for the addition of more water.

Mr. FRANKLIN suggested that the mixture would keep liquid at all ordinary temperatures if it contained 80 per cent. of phenol by weight.

Mr. FINNEMORE said that it was desirable that liquefied carbolic acid should keep liquid to a lower temperature than the preparation at present in use. There was a difficulty in adding water above a certain point, because separation took place. A search should be made for some other liquefying substance. He had tried glycerin, but it was not very good.

This completed the list of papers set down for reading and discussion at the morning session; but before adjourning for luncheon it was agreed, on the motion of the President, to send a message of greeting and sympathy to Mr. J. Whitfield, the father of Mr. G. Whitfield, the Chairman of the Local Committee, who was confined to bed by illness.

SCIENCE SECTION.

TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

The glorious summer weather was too strong a temptation even for many of the most regular and faithful frequenters of the Section, and it was only with some difficulty that some sort of quorum was obtained for the meeting, and the discussion languished in competition with the call to the open air. The next two papers were, in the absence of the authors, read by Mr. C. H. HAMPSHIRE.

The Quantitative Determination of Sodium Arsenate. by C. E. CORFIELD and ELSIE WOODWARD.

The authors consider that the greatest reliance is to be placed on the methods of Gooch and Morris and of Williamson. That of the former may be regarded as a satisfactory method. The inaccuracy is small, and tends in the direction of high results. In order to obtain an accurate result by Williamson's method, the calculation must be made from the iodine reading; or if the thiosulphate reading be taken, it must be corrected by means of a carefully performed blank experiment under exactly similar conditions. In the official method, no allowance is made. for the inaccuracy of the thiosulphate reading. The authors are of opinion that it would be improved by a subsequent titration with iodine, and a calculation of result from the value of this titration. This would complete the process, which at present gives results which are inaccurate to the extent of about 1 per cent. The paper is printed in full at page 473.

The Volumetric Determination of Arsenic Acid and Arsenates. by R. LEITCH MORRIS.

The B.P. process, which gives varying results with varying conditions of titration, is vitiated at the start by the fact that the mixing of the reagents causes a liberation of iodine. and by the fact that the solution cannot be largely diluted

before titration without reversal of the reaction, this. introducing another error in the opposite direction, due to the action of the strong acid on the thiosulphate. The author proposes the following method:-Have the thiosulphate burette already charged, and then mix the arsenate solution with the iodide and the hydrochloric acid, note the time, run in the thiosulphate slowly, drop by drop, stirring constantly (a small beaker is best in this case) till the yellow colour has become faint, and finish the titration five minutes after beginning it Under these conditions the excess iodine liberated by the action of the acid and any error due to decomposition of the thiosulphate by the acid are fairly constant. From the amount of arsenate indicated by the titration, deduct 0.0040 Gm. Na,HASO, and calculate to percentage. The variations in the results should then lie between 99.8 and 100.2 per cent. Or, apply the correction thus: From the number of C.c. or thiosulphate required deduct 04 C.c. (correction). Multiply the remainder by 0.009298 and then by 100. The result is the percentage content of Na,HASO,. Owing to the mode of manufacture, commercial arsenate frequently contains nitrate. In the B.P. process this, through interaction with the hydrochloric acid, will cause an extra liberation of iodine. Traces of nitrates do not seem to have any effect. The paper is printed in full at page 486.

DISCUSSION.

Mr. EVERS said that it was his practice to titrate as for phosphate. Incidentally, ho had found that the occasional high results were due to the presence of sodium acid arsenate.

Mr. HAMPSHIRE directed attention to the strong condemnation by Mr. Morris of the U.S.P. method.

The PRESIDENT observed that both papers represented an immense amount of painstaking detail work, and, on his motion, the authors were cordially thanked for the contributions. The Detection and Quantitative Determination of Minute Quantities of Bromide in Saline Residues and in a Mixture of the Halogens.

by A. J. JONES.

This paper is concerned with the detection and determination of mere traces of bromide, in connection with, for example, water, plant ashes, and physiological products. Of the several methods tried for estimating such minute quantities of bromide as exist in the things referred to, none has appeared quite so satisfactory as the author's modification of Denigès' method. A considerable amount of detail appears in the paper, and the author gives full and lucid particulars as to the reagent, as to the test, the application of the method when chloride is present, for wherever bromide is likely to occur both of the other halogens may be present as well, but most certainly chloride, and the latter has therefore to be reckoned with in adapting the test. Then follow particulars for residues generally, and for its appli cation when iodides are present. The paper is printed in full at page 475.

The Determination of Nitrates in Bismuth Salts by Means of Titanous Chloride and Devarda's Alloy.

by T. M'LACHLAN,

This paper shows that the B.P. method is unreliable, and concordant results are difficult to obtain. Devarda's alloy, on the other hand, gives a very consistent and reliable estimation of the total amount of bismuth nitrate present, and is much superior to Kjeldahl's method. The paper, printed in full at page 477, was, in the absence of the author, read by Mr. EVERS.

DISCUSSION.

Mr. D. LLOYD HOWARD said a paper of this nature was very difficult to comment upon offhand The introduction of a reliable method for the determination of nitrates would be of enormous value. Manufacturers frequently had correspondence with customers because of the variation in the nitrate content of bismuth salts. It was many years since he had examined such salts for nitrates, but he was certain that the paper would be of great interest to his brother.

Mr. JONES questioned the wisdom of eliminating traces of nitrates from bismuth salts. Pharmacists preferred a light bismuth carbonate, and this could not be produced if washing was to go on until all the nitrates were removed, because the water densified the salt.

Mr. EVERS, in reply, said that the B.P. limit was an adequate one, but, if necessary, he thought a bulky bismuth carbonate approximately free from nitrates could be produced. The author was thanked for his paper.