1896.] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 309 



standing two hours tlie alkaloid began to crystallise out 

 in well defined crystals. 



A solution in olive oil and one in castor oil was also 

 made, and these were found to be perfectly stable. 



From these results it seems that neither vaseline or 

 lard is a suitable solvent for the preparation of an oint- 

 ment of cocaine, and that the idea that such a preparation 

 was better than one containing the hydrochlorate dis- 

 solved in a little water and rubbed up with the fat is 

 fallacious. -^Pharmaceutical Journal. 



EDITORIAL. 



Correspondence with Editors. — Many people wonder 

 why editors do not alweiys answer promptly every com- 

 munication sent them. Hardly any one but an editor can 

 understand w^hy. It is this. An editor's mail consists of 

 literally thousands of items, all of which are sug-g-estive 

 and he would like to respond in almost every instance. 

 The only reason he does not is the physical impossibility 

 to do so. Many an editor burns midnight oil without even 

 then catching up. The piles grow bigger as days go by 

 and something gets buried deeper and deeper. If he does 

 not know without inquiry what to answer, that constitutes 

 an added cause of "neglect." Few periodicals can afford 

 the necessary clerical help for doing up every day's mail 

 as soon as received. 



There are some things which correspondents could do 

 to make replies surer. A self-addressed postal card, with 

 the question written on it is very likely to get returned at 

 once. Enclosing a self-addressed envelope works well if 

 what is to be returned in it is printed matter, but if a let- 

 ter must be written, that is not so sure because the thing 

 to say may be uncertain, when letter and envelope will go 

 aside to wait future opportunity to look it up. 



Don't be sensitive about the business or lack of concil- 

 iatory phrases in an editor's reply. Don't suspect him of 



