C. U C. p. ALUMNI lOUKNAL 



39 



Alkaline Mixture of Rhubarb. — S. 



K., New York, had a prescription call- 

 ing for alkaline mixture of rhubarb and 

 soda of the German Pharmacopoeia. 

 Concerning- this we have no information, 

 except that a preparation of this char- 

 acter is not to be found in the German 

 authority cited. Possibly the alkaline in- 

 fusion of rhubarb, for which a recipe was 

 given on page 15 of the Journal for 

 January, was intended by the physician. 



Antidote for Formaldehyde. — J. M., 

 New York. — There seems to be a dearth 

 of information as to antidotes for for- 

 maldehyde solutions. Most of the books 

 on therapeutics are silent on the subject. 

 Tanner's "Memoranda on Poisons" cites 

 a poisoning case in 1905, and suggests 

 the use of raw eggs. Andre (A. J. P., 

 72-1900-493) recommends the adminis- 

 tration of three times as much solution 

 of ammonium acetate as the volume of 

 formaldehyde solution ((37%) swal- 

 lowed ; to be followed by alkaline mineral 

 water. At present, intravenous injec- 

 tions of aromatic spirits of ammonia are 

 also employed. 



Proof Gallons.— R. F., New York, 

 asks us to explain how to calculate the 

 number of "proof gallons" in five gal- 

 lons of alcohol "188 proof." In internal 

 revenue matters all alcoholic liquids are 

 compared to the standard "proof gal- 

 lon," which means a gallon of "proof 

 spirit." This according to Walden and 

 Mowry's "Revenue Law Informer," is 

 one containing 50% by volume of abso- 

 lute alcohol. By this method, five gal- 

 lons of absolute alcohol ("200 proof") 

 would be called ten "proof gallons" 

 since it would furnish ten gallons of 

 "proof spirit." Likewise five gaUons of 

 alcohol "proof 188" would be considered 

 as 5 X 1.88 or 9.40 "proof gallons." 



"Bismuth Natrium Bromatum." — K. 



P., New York has received a prescrip- 

 tion for the above named ingredient and 

 asks what it is. Diligent search in price- 

 lists failed to find any mention of such 

 a salt, which we assume means a double 

 bromide of bismuth and sodium, since 

 the German Pharmacopoeia designates 

 as natrium bromatum, sodium brom- 

 ide, not sodium bromate. We find 

 in an article by Nickles (//. de Ph. et Ch. 

 3-39-1861-118) a lengthy account of a 

 double bromide of ammonium and bis- 

 muth, BiBr32NH^ Br.5 HgO, prepared by 

 treating bismuth with bromine in the 

 presence of ammonium bromide. This 

 salt occurs in rhombic acicular crystals 

 and Nickles states concerning its manu- 

 facture "potassium bromide acts the 

 same way." All of this would suggest 

 that a double bromide of sodium and bis- 

 muth could be prepared in like manner, 

 but after all we wonder, if the compound 

 the prescriber had in mind was a pro- 

 prietary article? 



Raw Alcohol.— P. D. C., New 

 York. — This represents the crude alco- 

 hol as it comes from the rectifying col- 

 umn. According to Sadtler's "Industrial 

 Organic Chemistry," raw spirit, notably 

 that from grain and potatoes, contains, 

 even when rectified to 95 to 96%, ap- 

 preciable quantities of fusel oil and of 

 acetaldehyde. This is purified, usually 

 by diluting to 50%, filtering through 

 wood charcoal and then redistilling. It 

 is important to note in this connection 

 that commercial alcohol even "188 proof" 

 is not official alcohol and that a drug- 

 gist selling same as "alcohol" without 

 adding the word "technical" on the label, 

 makes himself liable to prosecution un- 

 der the national Food and Drugs law. 



