Januakt 2, 1920] 



SCIENCE 



21 



The purpose of the communieation is to put on 

 record the compoaitiou of an active vermicide and 

 a suitable method of its application, which was 

 primarily intended for the army. The vermicide is 

 a solution, the base of which is kerosene. The odor 

 and irritating properties of kerosene are disposed 

 of by a special process. To this as a base are 

 added heavy oils and demulcents whioh promote the 

 retention of the vermicide and repellent properties, 

 by the objects to which the solution is applied. 

 The solution destroys lice within one minute, and 

 nits fail to develop after about eight minutes con- 

 tact with the solution. As proven by various tests 

 the solution is destructive not only to lice, but to a 

 large variety of insect-parasites affecting man, 

 animals and plants. The solution is applied by 

 means of a spraying device. 



An iodine preparation for intravenous and intra- 

 spinous use: Albert A. Epstein. (By title). It 

 is possible by means of heat under pressure to dis- 

 solve native iodine in solutions of dextrine without 

 the aid of the usual solvents. The amount of iodine 

 thus brought into solution bears the approximate 

 relation of 1 : 35 to the quantity of dextrine present. 

 The solution thus obtained is homogeneous and 

 fairly permanent. It is strongly bactericidal, its 

 potency ranging from 2^ to 25 times that of the 

 better known antiseptics. Its action is rapid. It 

 is relatively non-toxic when given intravenously and 

 intraspinously. Animals rendered septic by ex- 

 perimental means have been freed of bacteria by 

 intravenous injection of the solution. Clinical ap- 

 plication has been made in cases of bacterial endo- 

 carditis and typhoid; the clinical course of the 

 disease having been modified by its .use. One of 

 the constant effects of intravenous injection is a 

 febrile reaction followed by a very marked leuco- 

 cytosis. Intraspinous injection has been attempted 

 in tuberculous meningitis. Although the ultimate 

 course of the disease has not been modified by this 

 procedure the solution itself proved to be innocuous. 

 The subject is undergoing further investigation. 



TTie local anesthetic actions of saligenin and other 

 phenolic alcohols: A. D. HiKscnrELDER, A. Lund- 

 holm, H. NOERGAKD AND J. HULTKRANS. Since 



Maeht had shown that benzyl alcohol has local an- 

 esthetic properties, other members of the phenolic 

 alcohol aeries, phenylethylalcohol C0H5CH2CH2OH, 

 phenylglycol CeHjOHOHCHiiOH, cinnamie alcohol 

 CaHsOH = CHCHoOH, saUgenin CeHjOHCH^OH 

 (salicylic alcohol), methyl saligenin CoHiOCHs- 

 CH2OH, ethyl saligenin OoHiOC^HbOHjOH, pipero- 



O 

 nylic alcohol CeH3< >CH2CHjOH, and homosa- 



ligenin CsHaOHCHaOHCHa (1:2:4) were investi- 

 gated. Lengthening of the side chain diminishes 

 the local anesthetic power. Saligenin is the best 

 of the series. It is the least irritating to the tis- 

 sues, much less so than benzyl alcohol. It is only 

 half as toxic as the latter, longer and in half the 

 concentration. It is a practical surgical anesthetic, 

 and in six tonsillectomies and one tumor removal 

 in man proved to be as good as procaine. Lethal 

 dose for man would be more than a liter of 4 per 

 cent, solution. Covering the phenolic hydroxyl di- 

 minishes the local anesthetic power. Homosaligenin 

 is a good local anesthetic, but more irritating. 



The effects of drugs which inhiiit the para- 

 sympathetic nerve endings upon the irritability of 

 intestinM loops: A. D. Hirschpelder, A. Lund- 

 holm H. NOERGARD AND J. HULTKRANS. DrugS 

 which inhibit the parasympathetic nerve endings, 

 such as atropin, amyl nitrite, benzyl alcohol, benzyl 

 benzoate and saligenin cause a definite elevation 

 of the threshold of irritability of loops of intes- 

 tine to intermittent electrical stimuli. The nor- 

 mal rabbit's intestine responds with an annular 

 contraction to a stimulus from a Harvard induc- 

 tion coil at 10 to 12 cm. After painting the mes- 

 enteric border of the intestine with any of the 

 above-mentioned drugs in 2 per cent, solution or 

 emulsion the stimulus must be raised to one with 

 the coil at 4 cm. This rise in the threshold, or 

 decrease in the irritability, is probably due to the 

 transition from response by the nerve to response 

 by the muscle after the nerve impulse has been 

 blocked. The same strength of impulse was re- 

 quired after all the paralyzing drugs. 



The effect of fever upon the action and toxicity 

 of digitalis: A. D. Hirschpelder, J. Bicek, F. J. 

 KucERA AND W. HANSON. The actiou of the drug 

 was studied in cats and frogs whose body tem- 

 perature had been raised by immersion in a 

 water-bath. Increasing the body temperature in 

 both cats and frogs diminished the size of the dose 

 necessary to cause death. This is less marked at 

 the lower ranges of temperature than in the higher 

 temperatures, and it is most marked within one or 

 two degrees of the thermal death-point of the 

 animal. At 41° the lethal dose for cats is not re- 

 duced, at 42° it is one half to two thirds the nor- 

 mal, at 43° it is only one third to one half the 

 lethal dose in normal animals. This proves the 

 necessity of caution in the administration of large 

 doses of digitalis to patients with high fever. 



The toxicity of tohaoco smoTce from dga/rs, ciga- 

 rettes and pipe toidcco: A. D. Hirschpelder, A. 



