64 



THE ALUMNI JOURNAL. 



inhibitory proportion, the starch is 

 hydrolyzed by the diastase, and the sup- 

 ply of soluble nutritive material thus 

 maintained. The amylolytic power of 

 diastase is increased in presence of salts 

 of the alkalies and alkaline earths, and 

 by asporagine, etc. — J. Pharm., 1895. 



Emulsionizing heavy Coal-tar Oils. — 

 The heavy coal-tar oils possess great dis- 

 infecting powers and would find greater 

 application if a satisfactory emulsifying 

 agent could be found, so that it could be 

 handled with some degree of conveni- 

 ence. C. Durand recommends in the 

 Archiv de medicine et phar., 1896, the use 

 of powdered horse-chestnut for this pur- 

 pose, for the preparation of a liter of this 

 emulsion 50 Gm. of the powder are taken 

 with 50 Gm. of water and 900 Gm. of tar 

 oil the first two ingredients are well mix- 

 ed, then the oil added and the whole 

 well agitated. This produces (as is 

 stated) a permanent emulsion which can 

 be diluted into water in all proportions 

 without separation. The same author 

 recommends this method of preparation 

 for emulsion of petroleum products, oil 

 of cade, etc., where they might be em- 

 ployed in treatment of various skin dis- 

 eases. 



Vahcatioft of Ergot. — Prof. Beckarts 

 applied the Keller's method of assay for 

 ergot to a large variety of commercial 

 samples and finds that the small grains 

 yield a much larger percentage of cornu- 

 tin than the large and well developed 

 grains, also that as regards activity the 

 Russian ergot stands best, followed in 

 order by the Austrian, Spanish and last- 

 ly the German. Although it is not yet 

 definitely settled as to whether the ac- 

 tivity of ergot depends upon one or sev- 

 eral principles, yet it is generally agreed 

 that " cornutin " is one of the most ac- 

 tive, hence Keller's method of assay de- 

 pends upon the isolation of this princi- 

 ple. The drug is first exhausted with 



petroleum ether (benzine of boiling point 

 under 50° C.) to remove the fatty matter, 

 then dried, mixed with magnesia and a 

 little water and extracted (by shaking) 

 with ether, of the supernatant etherial 

 fluid, a volume representing 15 Gm. of 

 the dried drug is drawn off" and shaken 

 with acidulated water, from this the cor- 

 nutin is extracted by ether after adding 

 ammonia, the etherial solution is evapor- 

 ated, in a tarred capsule, to dryness and 

 weighed. This represents the activity 

 of 15 Gm. of the dried drug free from fat. 



Recovery from Morphiyie Poisoning by 

 the Use of Potassium Permanganate. — 

 The Brit. Med. four, reports recovery in 

 a case where a man had taken a solution 

 of one Gm. of morphine sulphate, by the 

 use of potassium permanganate. The 

 physician found the patient, who had 

 taken the dose one and a half hours pre- 

 viously, in a very critical condition. 

 0.35 Gm. of the permanganate dissolved 

 in 300 Gm. of water were introduced 

 into the stomach, after which the patient 

 was kept in motion as much as possible. 

 In halt an hour vomiting ensued. This 

 was followed up by two more doses of the 

 same strength at proper intervals, each 

 dose being followed b}^ vomiting. The 

 patient very soon showed signs of im- 

 provement, and in ten hours all danger 

 was over. 



A Sevsitive Reagent for Albumiii in 

 Urine. — The following reagent, recom- 

 mended by Dr. Jolles, recognizes with 

 certainty the slightest traces of albumin 

 without being in any degree influenced 

 by the composition of the sample: 



Mercuric chloride 10 Gm. 



Succinic acid 20 " 



Sodium chloride 10 " 



Distilled water 500 " 



The test is applied by acidifying 5 

 Cc. of the filtered urine with i Cc. of 

 acetic acid (30^0. following with 4 Cc. 

 of the reagent, and shaking. In a second 

 test tube 5 Cc. of the filtered urine are 

 acidified with i Cc. of the acetic acid, 

 followed by 4 Cc. of water. This will 

 show the presence of macin, enabling 

 one to compare the two so as to avoid 

 any false interpretation of the test. This 

 reagent will detect the presence of one 

 part albumin in 120,000. 



