56 
way it compares fairly well with the fluid extracts, especially by the 
“toxic” methods. The maximum dose recommended is about 
3 minims, or about the same as for a fluid extract. 
The “Specific Medicine” digitalis, made by Lloyd Bros., of Cin- 
cinnati offered some difficulties on account of its high alcohol con- 
tent (80 per cent absolute). If this was evaporated off, a gummy 
resinous -mass was left which was very hard to mix with water in such 
a way as to give uniform dosage. In many cases to avoid this 
trouble the solution was merely exposed in any open vessel at room 
temperature until part of the alcohol had evaporated, and the residue 
was then mixed with the water to get the desired dilution. The 
solutions thus obtained were always thoroughly shaken to insure a 
uniform distribution of the precipitate. In one method, namely, the 
perfusion of the frog’s heart, it is not possible to get the full action of 
the drug, as the precipitate which forms when the drug is added to 
the Ringer’s solution settles to the bottom of the bottle containing 
the perfusion fluid and onty the soluble portion reaches the heart. 
It is for this reason that the drug appears so much weaker by this 
method than by the other methods in which the animal receives the 
entire drug. The results of our experiments show that the prepara- 
tion is uniformly weaker than the pharmacopoeial fluid extracts. 
According to the label its strength is 480 grains to the fluid ounce. 
In the advertising literature of this firm the effect upon the system 
of the “Specific Medicines” is said to be about double that of ordinary 
fluid extracts and the dose should not be more than one-half the 
usual dose of fluid extracts. The dose recommended on the bottle 
is from one-third minim to 1 minim every hour , which is certainly 
not less than that of a pharmacopoeial fluid extract. In general, 
its strength would appear to be about the same as the fluid extracts ; 
it certainly is not stronger. 
Three bottles of digitalone were examined. This is said to be an 
aseptic nonalcoholic, permanent solution of digitalis of the same 
strength as the U. S. Pharmacopoeia tincture. Bottles Nos. 1 and 2 
were not essentially different in the character of the preparation 
contained. In both cases it possessed a peculiar, somewhat aro- 
matic odor, not exactly unpleasant, but somewhat sour. The 
fluids were both a dark brown and contained a rather heavy precipi- 
tate. Bottle No. 3, the odor was not as unpleasant, and somewhat 
suggested chloretone. The preparation was slightly lighter in color 
than an orange yellow, and contained a fairly abundant, fine white, 
flaky precipitate. 
Their relative physiological activity can be most clearly illustrated 
by three experiments upon frogs carried out under similar conditions, 
the hearts being exposed and the drug being injected in relatively 
the same size doses. 
