— ii5 — 



with other constituents of the nutmeg than in the pure state, and 

 this theory would explain the differences in the behaviour of the oil 

 and of the nutmeg. The lower animals were much less susceptible 

 to the direct action of nutmeg upon the functions of the brain than 

 were human beings. This agrees with the result of observations on 

 other bodies possessing a narcotic action. 



The thiozonide of linalyl acetate prepared by H. Erdmann, and 

 referred to in our last Report 1 ) has been employed by F. Nagel- 

 schmidt 2 ) in clinical experiments in cases of psoriasis, cystitis, sy- 

 philis and scabies. These experiments showed the thiozonide to be 

 decidedly superior to thiopinol, the solution of sulphur in oil of pine- 

 needles which had formerly been the subject of experiment. The organic 

 combination of the sulphur appears greatly to increase the power of 

 absorption by the skin when the preparation is administered in the 

 form of an ointment or in the bath. Other advantages of the remedy 

 are its agreeable odour, its non-irritant properties, and the possibility of 

 administering it in exact doses. It was used in various forms, such as 

 an alcoholic solution of organic linalyl acetate thiozonide of sodium 

 together with anorganic sodium thiozonate ("thiozone"), in some in- 

 stances mixed with glycerine, or as a solution in oil of lavender of 

 the pure thiozonide. Details of the cases treated show the effect of 

 the preparation on the separation of sulphuric acid in the urine. From 

 these records it appears that there was a regular and well-defined in- 

 crease in the total amount of sulphuric acid separated in the urine, 

 while the total amount of sulphur only increased in proportion to the 

 increase of the sulphuric acid. 



A. Ellinger 3 ) has ascertained that coumarin, in proper doses, is a 

 useful narcotic for frogs and rabbits, and, in experimental investigations, 

 possesses the advantage of influencing the circulation only very slightly. 

 On the other hand, it proved to be unsuitable for dogs and for man. 

 For details see the original work. 



Observations on the symptoms caused by the self-administration 

 of 8 g. of menthol have been made by A. Schwenkenbecher 4 ). 

 The familiar prickly sensation of cold in the mouth and throat ex- 

 tended downwards to the oesophagus to the limit of the presence 

 of nerves susceptible to cold; it therefore ceased in the intestinal 



*) Report November 1908, 178. 



2 ) Therap. Monatshefte 22 (1908), 520. 



3 ) Archiv f. exp. Pathol, u. Pharmak. 1908. Suppl.: Schmiedeberg- Festschrift. 

 Quoted from Chem. Zentralbl. 1908, II. 1945. 



4 ) Munch, med. Wochenschr. 1908, No. 28. Through Therap. JVIonatsh. 23 

 (1909), 58. 



8* 



