N. MATERIA MEDICA, THERAPEUTICS, AND HYGIENE. 627 



the chloral we can |3 reduce aldehyde. The transformation 

 of the chloral into chloroform in the blood is due to the alka- 

 linity of the latter. 6 B^ November 25, 1872, 1317. 



TUEPEXTINE AS AX ANTIDOTE TO PHOSPHOEUS POISONING. 



For some time it has been well known that oil of turpen- 

 tine constitutes an antidote to phosphorus in cases of poison, 

 although the precise philosophy of the action was not well 

 understood. It has now been ascertained that a chemical 

 combination takes place, with the formation of what is called 

 turpentine phosphoric acid., in which form it is discharged in 

 the urine of a poisoned patient treated with turpentine, and 

 can be found in the alkaline distillate when the urine is dis- 

 tilled. 21 D, February, 1^1^, 179. 



PPtEVENTION OF MERCUKIAL POISONING. 



Jules Meyer, an employe in a French mirror factory, has 

 lately ascertained that by scattering through the working- 

 rooms a pint or half a pint of aqua ammonia every evening 

 all danger from the absorption of mercurial vapors will be in 

 a measure prevented. This practice has now been in use for 

 several years in his establishment without the occurrence 

 of any new attack of mercurial intoxication, while no further 

 difficulty has been experienced by persons who had been 

 previously affected. No explanation has been offered as to 

 tlie theory of the action of the ammonia. 3 B, March 13, 

 1873,445. 



CIILOIlOFOK^r AS A SOLVENT IN EXAMINATION FOR VEGETABLE 



POISONS. 



According to experiments by J. ISTowak, chloroform will 

 rapidly and completely take up from an alkaline solution, on 

 being shaken with it, even when cold, strychnine, quinine, 

 quinidine,cinchonine, caffeine, theobromine, emetine, atropine, 

 hyoscy amine, aconitine, veratrine, physostigmine, narcotine, 

 codeine, thebaine, nicotine, and coniine ; somewhat more slow- 

 ly, brucine, colchicine, and papaverine ; and when warm, sab- 

 adilline, and some narceine. Picrotoxin is taken up much 

 more readily from acid than from alkaline solutions, while 

 morphine and solaniue are taken up from neither. Further 

 experiments showed that all these substances absorbed from 



