DRUGS, NEW. 



291 



pyrrol is deposited in crystalline state, and four 

 molecules of hydriodic acid are produced. lodol 

 is the abbreviated name for this substance. It 

 appears as a light-brown powder, darkening by 

 exposure to light; is almost tasteless, with a 

 faint odor of thymol. Examined with a micro- 

 scope, it is a debris of fragments of lamellar and 

 columnar crystals of light-yellow color. Up 

 to 212 Fahr. it does not appear to alter nor 

 to lose weight, but above that degree of heat it 

 gives off iodine, and leaves a bulky charcoal, 

 reducible with difficulty to ash. It requires 

 5,000 parts of water for solution, but only 3 

 parts of absolute alcohol. It is not very solu- 

 ble in glycerin, but requires less than its weight 

 of ether. It contains 88 - 9 per cent, of iodine 

 (iodoform has 96 '6 per cent.). It was dis- 

 covered by Drs. G. Ciamician and P. Silber, 

 of Rome. 



Kava-kiiva, or Piper methysticnm (Forst.). con- 

 tains in its root a resinous substance which has 

 been found to produce local anaesthesia. Its 

 taste is aromatic, followed by a sense of prick- 

 ing and burning, which is soon lost in local 

 insensibility. Injected under the skin the tis- 

 sues become insensible, and its effects are not 

 followed by inflammation. The constituents 

 of the root are a resin, kawin ; a neutral sub- 

 stance, kawahin (or methysticin), and an ethe- 

 real oil. Kawahin can be separated in the 

 form of white, needle-shaped crystals, and 

 from the mother-liquor another crystalline 

 substance, called tangarin, can be produced. 

 The medical virtues appear to reside in the 

 resin, and not in the crystalline bodies, and 

 this is divisible into an alpha-resin and beta- 

 resin: a kawa-resin possesses the odor and 

 flavor of the drug ; is soluble in alcohol, chloro- 

 form, and ether; imparts its odor to water 

 boiled with it; leaves a permanent, oily stain on 

 paper; boiled with water the latter turns yel- 

 lowish-green, and oily particles collect on the 

 surface ; on cooling the liquid becomes milky. 

 The a kawa-resin costs about one mark per 

 gramme ; the /3-resin about 0'30 mark. The 

 anaesthetic effect of the a-resin is greatest. 

 Even a minute portion placed on the tongue 

 causes first a fatty or soapy taste, followed by 

 numbness and loss of sensibility in the surfaces 

 with which it comes into contact. There is 

 slight paleness of the membrane, and these 

 effects last ten or more minutes. 



Kelline is a ternary substance derived from 

 kella-seeds (Ammi msnagra). A decoction of 

 the seeds has been used as a remedy for rheu- 

 matism and urinary gravel, and ointment made 

 with the seeds as an application to rheumatic 

 joints. 



Lactate of Morphine is the only salt of mor- 

 phine which crystallizes from water in an an- 

 hydrous condition. Its formula, according to 

 D. B. Dott, is C 17 H 19 N-03.C3H 6 03. It is soluble 

 in 8 parts of water and in 93 parts of alcohol 

 of sp. g. 0-838 at 60 Fahr. 



Lanolin, a fatty substance, derived from 

 sheep's wool, differs from the ordinary or 



glycerin fat, in having cholesterine as a base. 

 The crude fat is known as suint. The name 

 is derived from lana, wool, and oleum, oil. 

 It is produced by emulsifying suint, and then 

 churning it, when the lanolin separates. It is 

 capable of absorbing more water than any 

 other known fatty body, more than 100 per 

 cent, being incorporated with it by kneading. 

 It does not dissolve in water, and forms a 

 thick milk with soap or alkalies. It is abso- 

 lutely neutral, and is not capable of sponta- 

 neous decomposition. It mixes readily with 

 glycerin, and forms an admirable basis for 

 ointments containing remedies to be intro- 

 duced through the skin, owing to the rapidity 

 with which it is absorbed. It has little or no 

 odor. 



Lantanine, an alkaloid recently found in Lan- 

 tana Braziliensis (family Verbenacea), is said 

 to moderate the circulation, retard nutrition 

 changes, lower the temperature, and, in doses 

 of 30 grains, conquers intermittent fevers that 

 have resisted quinine. It does not disturb the 

 stomach. Dr. Buisa, of Lima, is its discoverer. 



Myrtol (presumably the stearopten of oil of 

 myrtle, from Myrtus communis), is lately pro- 

 posed as an antiseptic and disinfectant. About 

 2J grains in capsules, before meals, is recom- 

 mended by Dr. Linarix as a remedy in sub- 

 acute and chronic bronchial catarrh. 



Osmate of Potassium (K 2 O B O 4 2H 2 O), is a salt 

 of osmium, usld in place of osmic acid, by 

 hypodermic injections, for the relief of periph- 

 eral neuralgias and rheumatic sciatica. A 1- 

 per-cent. aqueous solution is employed. The 

 salt has also proved serviceable as a remedy 

 for epilepsy. 



Piperonal, an aldehyde corresponding to pi- 

 peronilic acid, is obtained by the oxidation 

 of piperine. It forms small, white, prismatic 

 scales, having an odor of heliotrope, in con- 

 sequence of which it is sold under the name of 

 heliotropin. It melts at 125 Fahr., and vola- 

 tilizes completely at a higher temperature. It 

 is insoluble in cold water. In hot water it 

 melts to a condition of oily drops. Ether 

 and alcohol dissolve it readily. It has some 

 power of reducing the temperature of fever 

 in doses of fifteen grains every two to four 

 hours, but its chief value is as an antiseptic. 



Rubns Uiain;rmorns, or cloud-berries, is a Rus- 

 sian peasant-remedy for increasing the flow of 

 urine, which has lately received scientific at- 

 tention. Its virtues are imparted to water or 

 alcohol, and its effect on the kidneys does not 

 appear to be attended with increased arterial 

 pressure. 



Saccharinates of quinine, strychnine, and oth- 

 er bitter alkaloids made with the sweet prin- 

 ciple derived from coal-tar by Dr. C. Fahlberg 

 are said to be palatable salts. Saccharin is 

 chemically anhydro-ortho-sulphamine-benzoic 

 acid. Its salt with quinine would be sulpha- 

 min-benzoate of quinine, or, for the sake of 

 brevity, saccharinate of quinine (not saccha- 

 rate, which is quite another thing). The sub- 



