ORGANIC MEDICINAL CHEMICALS 43 



organism, and are also found in plants, especially in the seeds. 



The composition is as yet in doubt. 



As before stated, many of these organic compounds are mere mixtures 

 of synthetical chemicals. They have the alluring titles of "New Reme- 

 dies," for which special merit is claimed. Many of them have certain 

 euphonic titles, which give no information as regards their constituents; 

 others have proper scientific names, which tell at once their composition. 

 Virgil Coblentz, referring to their nomenclature, divides them into two 

 classes, as follows: 



CLASS I. TITLES OF ORGANIC CHEMICALS 



(a) Titles of this class express concisely the composition (chemical) of 

 the compound as, for example, acet-anilid, benz-anilid, ethy- 

 lene-diamine, ethoxyl-caffein, acety-ethyl-phenyl-hydrazine. 



(5) Such titles as embrace euphonic combinations of different syllables 

 of names of the bodies entering into the composition of the 

 remedy for example, tann-albin (compound of tannin and 

 albumin); amyl-form (a combination of starch and formalde- 

 hyde); salipyrine (a compound of salicylic acid and anti- 

 pyrine); lactophenin (lactic acid derivative of phenetidin); 

 gall-al (aluminum gallate); gall-anol (gallic acid and anilid), etc. 



CLASS II DESCRIPTIVE TITLES 



These are especially coined euphonic titles, which are generally of Greek 

 and Latin origin, and partake of a descriptive character. These 

 describe, in a way, either the uses, properties, or physical charac- 

 ters of the compound as, for example, pyoktanin is made up 

 of the Greek words irvav, meaning pus, and xretpo, to kill; thalline, 

 from the Greek, dd\\6s, meaning a green twig, referring to the 

 bright green color produced by the action of the oxidizing agents. 



Other titles are of arbitrary character, such as loretin, an 

 adaptation from laura, or lorenit, in which the last three letters 

 of loretin have been reversed. 



Owing to the entire absence of any data upon the nomencla- 

 ture of these remedies, the derivation of many of these titles is 

 entirely a matter of conjecture. 



TITLES OF NEW REMEDIES 



The following synopsis of new remedies aims to include such agents 

 as have become established and those which have some promise of becom- 

 ing permanent additions to the Materia Medica, giving merely the name, 

 chemical formula, brief statement as to physical properties, use and dose; 

 the idea being to give simply a general survey of the newer remedies 

 admitted, or seeking admission, into the list of recognized therapeutical 



