2S0 
THE CHEMIST AND DRUGGIST OP AUSTRALASIA. 
Oct. 1, 1895. 
Powdered Drugs in Bottles. -Mr. L. F. Stafford 
Hall, who sent us a question as to the cause of powder 
accumulating in shop bottles on the side next the light, now 
writes that he adopted our suggestion, and examined a 
freshly cleaned bottle placed among those which had shown 
this peculiarity. In the morning he found the side next the 
light quite damp, which seems to confirm the explanation 
put forward that the greater radiation on the exposed side 
led to the deposit of what excess of moisture there was in 
the air in the bottle. Whenever the contents were shaken 
some of the powder would adhere to the damp surface, and 
HO produce a coating next the light. 
Mildura, 8/153. — Paris green, London purple, and 
sulphuric acid are not specifically mentioned in the Poisons 
Act, and as the two former are ordinary pigments, although 
they are used as insecticides, we ax-e not sure that they 
could be brought under the line in the schedule which 
speaks of arsenical preparations. Any legally-qualified 
medical practitioner may sell scheduled poisons, and the 
Medical Board of Victoria is the judge as to a man’s qualifi- 
cation. We do not think that the fact that a foreign 
certificate does not entitle the holder to keep an open shop 
in his own country would debar him from taking advantage 
of the permission of the Poisons and Pharmacy Acts of 
Victoria. 
Inquirer, 18/150.— -Seeing that Tincture of Opium does not 
always produce sleep, and sometimes acts as an excitant 
according to the idiosyncracy of the patient, there is always 
a certain amount of risk in administering 15 minim doses to 
betaken every half hour until sleep is produced. Such a course 
should always be taken under medical observation. Your 
inquiry about the new anaesthetic was answered by the 
paragraph on “Local Anaesthesia,” in the July issue of your 
journal. 
Tanner, 73/153.— (1) Leather-Dpessing Ink.— It is 
difficult to name a preparation that will meet your require- 
ments. 
(2) Among Books on Tanning we would mention 
“ Text Book of Tanning : Theoretical and Practical,” by H. 
It. Procter (Spon, London, 1885, price 10s. Cd.) ; “ Tanning, 
Currying, and Leather-Dressing,” by F. Dussance (Phila- 
delphia, 1803); “ Leather Manufacture : A Dissertation on 
the Method and Economy of Tanning,” by J. S. Schultz 
(New York, 1870). 
Cheraicus 15/152 ;~(1) Sodium alloys with most metals 
usually by being heated with them. Amalgams with 
mercury may be prepared by carefully triturating the 
metals together or by adding the sodium in small pieces at 
intervals to gently warmed mercury. When the amalgam 
contains one part of sodium to 100 of mercury it is liquid, 
but with one to 00 it forms a stiff paste at 21 deg. With 
less mercury the amalgam is hard and more or less crystal- 
line. 
(2) The determination of fusel Oil in spirits cannot be 
effected very accurately, as it is present in very small pro- 
portion, and is not a definite substance, being a variable 
mixture of amylic, butylic, and other alcohols, various 
amylic ethers, <fec. Most methods aiming at the actual 
estimation of fusel oils are based on the determination of the 
amyl alcohol which is its leading constituent, A useful 
rough test for amylic is to pour the sample of spirit on 
filter paper contained in a plate or fiat basin, allowing it to 
evaporate spontaneously, or by the application of a very 
gentle heat. In the last portions the smell of fusel oil is 
often distinctly recognisable, especially if the liquid be 
warmed. 
(3) To Coloup a Billiard Ball Red soak the pieces for 
a few minutes in weak nitric acid, and then in a strong 
decoction of cochineal in ammonia water. 
Worm Reniedies [Zeno, 56/150).— For thread worms, 
2 or 3 grains naphthalin to young children twice a-day. 
For older children the dose should be proportionately 
increased from 3 or 4 up to 5 or 0 grains. Practically the 
dose is 1 grain for each year of the child’s age. It may be 
given with a little sacch. alb., and followed by a suitable 
dose of castor oil. But it is better to dispense with the 
sugar, and give it directly in the oil itself— say, in 51 of ol. 
ricini to a young child, and 5lss 5ii to older childrem 
For round worms, the same ; or ^ grain to f grain 
santonin to infant 12 months bid ; 2 grains to a child two 
or three years old ; 3 grains to a child over four years old. 
For tape worms, the naphthalin as above ; or i drachm 
ext. filicis liq. with h drachm pulv. trag. co. in milk or 
sweetened water to a child six or seven years old, in the 
early morning. Castor oil should be given the night before 
and again three hours after the male fern. (From Muskett’s 
Prescribing and Treatment for Infants and Children.) 
AN OFFICIAL REPORT ON EUCALYPTUS OIL. 
Recently the Chief Secretary of South Australia requested 
Dr. Perks, Superintendent of the Adelaide Hospital, to fur- 
nish him with a report on the uses of eucalyptus oil. This 
was supplied, and is of sufficient interest for reproduction. 
It will be noted that Dr. Perks says he has had no oppor- 
tunities of comparing different brands and makes of the 
oil : — 
Adelaide Hospital, July 16, 1895. 
Report on Preparations of Eucalyptus Oils and Use at the 
Adelaide Hospital. 
Preparations in Use. 
Eucalyptus Oil (Faulding’s), said by manufacturers to be 
50 per cent. oil. From Euc. Cneorifolia (Kangaroo Island). 
Solyptol (Faulding’s patent) containing (nearly) 50 per 
cent, eucalyptus oil, is miscible with water, forming milky 
emulsion. 
Eucalyptol . — Product obtained by purification and rectifi- 
cation of the ordinary oil. 
Chief uses ; Special. 
Diphtheria. — In all cases the patches of diseased mem- 
brane in fauces are swabbed hourly with mixture — 50 per 
cent, euc, oil and^50 per cent. ol. olivse respectively. This 
treatment (followed by myself for some years in England 
and introduced here) has been found so effectual [in dealing 
with] the local focus of the disease (and that in the majority 
of cases terminating its course) that it has superseded every 
other in this hospital. I do not tecollect a case in which it 
has failed to arrest disease when seen in sufficiently early 
stages, i.e., before invasion of the air passages, when, of 
course, local treatment as above cannot be carried out. 
Scarlatina. — After acute stage, when desquamation of 
cuticle is commencing, the entire body is anointed with 
mixture of ol. eucalyptus and ol. oliva3 in proportion as 
above, and every evening patient receives a hot bath con- 
taining solyptol in proportion of one teaspoonful to gallon of 
water. The solvent action of this latter greatly facilitates the 
detachment of the epidermis, whilst the application of theoil 
in the more concentrated form for considerable periods 
effectually destroys the “germs” of the disease (the chief 
source of infection) throughout its whole thickness. After 
a week of this treatment we have found that a patient can 
be returned to his family without danger of spreading 
disease, even if desquamation is not fully completed, thus 
saving a further detention in the hospital (as against other 
methods of treatment) of from two to four weeks, con- 
sequent cost of special rinsing, isolation, etc., as well as 
materially shortening the period during which patient is 
actively infective to others. 
I have entered at some length upon the treatment of 
these two grave diseases by eucalyptus oil as I consider 
that in them it is invaluable. No other agent of equal 
germicidal power (known to me) could be used so freely, 
and therefore effectively, without injurious results to the 
patient from their poisonous properties. 
Uses: General. 
Eucalyptus oil and eucalyptol are used with fatty bases in 
varying proportions as antiseptic ointments, and also with 
other drugs (chloroform, &c.) as dry inhalations in pul- 
monary phthisis, gangrene of lung, asthma, and for anti- 
septic deodorizing and soothing purposes. 
iS'o/ypfoZ.— Mixed with water in proportions as above. 
Used as antiseptic solution for cleansing instruments, hands 
of surgeons, and before operating, and as a deodorising 
spray. 
No other preparations of eucalyptus have been used here 
except those of Messrs. Faulding, who have been contractors 
for supply of drugs to the hospital for some years, so that I 
am unable to report on the relative values of oils from other 
species of eucalyptus, or by other makers. 
ROBT. H. PERKS, M.D., F.R.C.S., Eng., 
Medical Superintendent. 
