1 1 2 THE JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY. 



Trikresol as an Antiseptic for Collyria— Dr. E. A. de Schweinitz,. 

 Biochemic Laboratory, Professor of Chemistry at the Columbian Medical 

 College, Washington, D. C, of the Department of Agriculture*, has experi- 

 mented with trikresol as an agent to prevent the contamination of collyria 

 with harmful bacteria (Therapeutic Gazette, July 16, 1895). Chemical 

 sterilization of such solutions has not been satisfactory in the past, owing 

 to the strength of carbolic acid, corrosive sublimate or mercury cyanide 

 that must be used to insure disinfection. First he found that a l-to-1,000 

 solution of trikresol in ordinary Potomac Kiver water completely sterilized 

 it. The same solution dropped into a rabbit's eye produced not the 

 slightest irritation; nor did the injection of the same solution into the 

 anterior chamber cause more hyperaemia of the blood vessels in the ciliary 

 region just above the point of injection than a simple puncture of the 

 cornea would have done. Trikresol water, 1 to 1,000, dropped into the cul- 

 de-sac of the human eye, did not cause the least burning or irritation. 



Collyria of cocaine, atropine and eserine of the usual strength were 

 then prepared, a 1-1,000 aqueous solution of trikresol being employed as 

 the solvent. The bottles were then left uncorked and exposed in the closets 

 and in the open air for days and weeks. They remained clear, and no 

 cultures could be made from them. Some of them have stood this test 

 for months. 



Dr. Schweinitz recommends that a 1-1,000 aqueous trikresol solution 

 be employed instead of water in making up collyria. Even a 1-500 

 solution caused no burning when dropped into his own eyes. In many 

 cases the trikresol solution 1 to 500 could be used more advantageuosly 

 than the 1 to 1,000. In addition to the usual solutions kept in the ordinary 

 treatment case, there should also be a small vial of trikresol water for 

 rinsing the pipettes after use. By this method he thinks that the fungus 

 and bacterial growths often found in collyria might be prevented, as well 

 as any eye complications resulting from the use of a contaminated solution. 

 He concludes that as trikresol has been found to be such a good antiseptic,, 

 and to be fatal to the pyogenes aureus, it will doubtless be very useful in 

 general ophthalmological practice. 



Potassium Permanganate as an Antidote to Morphine. — Dr. Charles 

 A. Holder, Assistant Demonstrator of Pharmacy in the Jefferson Medical 

 College, writes to the Therapeutic Gazette for January, 1898, page 11, of 

 his investigations on this subject. Fully accepting the evidence that when 

 this is brought into contact with morphine in the stomach it at once neu- 

 tralizes it by reduction, and having determined that in a test tube at least 

 2 grs. of the permanganate are required to reduce 1 gr. of morphine, he set 



