202 



C. U. C. p. ALUMNI JOURNAL 



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Conducted by Prof. George C. Diekman. 



Sterilin. 



Under this title Dr. Ad. Silberstein 

 and James Coleman have marketed a 

 preparation said to be a substitute for 

 rubber gloves. The article is fully de- 

 scribed in Ztralblt. f. Chirurgia, 1916, 1., 

 and is claimed to fully replace the rub- 

 ber article, which owing the scant sup- 

 ply of pure rubber, is practically unob- 

 tainable. Sterilin is marketed in the 

 form of a viscid liquid, with which the 

 hands are coated. After vaporization of 

 the solvent, a hard, elastic, transparent 

 coating is left behind, which is not af- 

 fected by contact with oils, benzine, 

 diluted acids, sublimate solutions, pus or 

 blood. Antiseptic as well as medicinal 

 agents may be incorporated with sterilin 

 without impairment of value. The coat- 

 ing may readily be removed by applica- 

 tion of a liquid furnished by the manu- 

 facturers or by use of acetone. Ex- 

 periments conducted in the municipal 

 laboratories of Berlin, have demonstrat- 

 ed the fact that the coating of sterilin is 

 impervious to bacteria. 



Quantitative Estimation of Morphine. 



Debourdeaux, in Journ. Phann. et 

 Chilli., calls attention to the fact that the 

 presence of alcohol, starchy and other 

 substances in extracts, powders etc., 

 will materially influence the correctness 

 of the results obtained. He states that 

 in order to completely precipitate mor- 

 phine by means of the lime method a 



larger quantity of this will be required, 

 if the liquid has not been previously 

 freed from alcohol. In a mixture con- 

 taining starch besides the alkaloid, the 

 former will retard the complete precipi- 

 tation of the latter by means of an al- 

 kali, and for this reason starch should 

 first be removed. He also calls atten- 

 tion that temperature errors are least be- 

 tween 15° and 18° C, and recommends 

 that operations be conducted uniformly 

 at a temperature of 15° C. | 



Source of Siam Benzoin. 



According to the investigations of E. 

 M. Holmes, '\n.Pharm Journ., its source 

 is Styrax Tonkinense, Craib. The plant 

 is found to grow in the territory between 

 Luang Probang and Hanoi. He further 

 states that Styrax benzoides, found in 

 northwestern Siam, yields an aromatic 

 resin, which is used chiefly by the na- 

 tives, and is not generally found in com- 

 merce. Saigon benzoin, which only re- | 

 cently has found its way to the English 

 market, possesses a vanilla-like odor, 

 similar to that of Siam benzoin, and is 

 free from cinnammic acid. Holmes in- 

 clines to the belief that its source is the 

 Styrax Tonkinense. Its rough exterior 

 and its general appearance reminds one 

 of Sumatra benzoin. From Indo-China, 

 only one member of the family yielding 

 benzoin, namely, the Styrax agresta, is 

 contributed. Holmes states that he does \ 

 not know whether or not benzoin from 

 this source reaches the markets. 



