286 



THE ALUMNI JOURNAL 



half-drop three times daily), slightly increasing 

 the dose each week. The warts crumble to 

 pieces and disappear, especially when washing 

 and drying the hands, so that the skin looks 

 normal after two or three weeks. Relapses 

 have never been observed . — Medical Herald. 



WARM SOLUTIONS OF COCAINE. 



Costa recommends that cocaine solution used 

 for anaesthetic purposes should be first warmed 

 to a temperature of 50° to 55°. These warm so- 

 lutions even when diluted to i in 200 or i in 250 

 give a very marked reaction; the effect is imme- 

 diate, the insensitive zone is less diffused, and 

 compared with cold solutions, the toxic effect 

 is diminished. — Repert. de Pharm. [3], vii., 360 

 after Gaz. deg. Ospedal. 



NITRATE OF POTASSIUM FOR BURNS. 



When applied to burns, a saturated cold so- 

 lution of nitrate of potassium gives immediate 

 relief from pain, and if employed soon after the 

 accident, may prevent the formation of blisters 

 and greatly lessen the inflammation. I'oggi 

 finds that compresses saturated with saltpetre 

 solution have a similar refrigerant and anti- 

 phlogistic action ; burns dressed with them be- 

 come less painful and soon heal. — L'' Union 

 PhartnaceuL, xxxvii., 346. 



MAGNESIA PASTE FOR BURNS. 



In treating burns of the first and second de- 

 gree, Vergely has obtained excellent results by 

 covering the parts with a thick layer of a paste 

 of magnesia and water, which is allowed to dry 

 on the skin; as the dried flakes fall off they are 

 replaced by a fresh dressing of moist paste. 

 Under the protective crust of magnesia the sores 

 heal rapidly without leaving behind them cut- 

 aneous pigmentations, such as are often observed 

 after burns which remain exposed to the atmos- 

 phere. — U Union Pharfnaceut., xxxvii., 346. 



FORMALDEHYDE IN THE TREATMENT OF 

 RINGWORM. 



Having found that pure cultures of both forms 

 of Trichophyton quickly succumb to even the 

 vapors of formaldehyde, and that no subse- 

 quent growth was ever obtained from infested 

 hairs which had been dipped in the 40 per cent, 

 solution for five minutes, Dr. Salter was induced 

 to try the local application of the remedy in the 

 out-patient department of Guy's Hospital. Forty 

 cases were operated on, the strong solution be- 

 ing applied with a brush or mop for ten min- 

 utes, the treatment being repeated every other 

 day on four occasions and then discontinued. 



Only five cases required the method to be re- 

 peated; in the rest the fungus was completely 

 eradicated. The application causes irritation 

 and discomfort for a brief period, but does not 

 vesicate the scalp; it produces, however, a thick 

 crust, to remove which an emollient should be 

 employed. A remarkable complication was 

 noticed, in a few cases cedema of the face was 

 noted some hours after the painting. In one 

 case this was so marked as to prevent vision 

 from swelling of the eyelids; there was no pain, 

 redness or constitutional disturbance, and it 

 quickly passed off. — British Med. Jour,, 2, 96, 

 651. 



Prof. D. T. Macdougal concludes 

 an admirably written article on The 

 Physiology of Color in Plants (Appleton's 

 Popular Science Monthly, May, 1896) as 

 follows : 



1. Chlorophyll converts light into en- 

 ergy by the aid of which protoplasm con- 

 taining it is able to build up foods from 

 carbon dioxide and water. 



2. Non- green coloring substances serve 

 as a screen between the chlorophyll and 

 the too violent rays of the sun, at the 

 same time converting the absorbed por- 

 tion ot the rays into useful heat. 



3. Non-green coloring substances con- 

 vert the light which has passed the chlo- 

 rophyll bodies into useful heat. 



4. Coloring substances absorb the 

 blue-violet rays and prevent their disin- 

 tegrating effect on nitrogenous compounds 

 in situ or in transit in the interior of the 

 plant. 



5. Non-green coloring substances are 

 in some instances simply by-products or 

 waste matter from the physiological pro- 

 cesses, and in the present stage of devel- 

 opment and under ordinary conditions 

 are of no use to the plant containing 

 them. 



6. Colors serve as an attractive, guid- 

 ing or warning device for insects and 

 other animals, more especially for the 

 purpose of securing cross-fertilization and 

 protection from injury. 



