123 
Loble, W. (Wien. klin. Wchnschr., 1905, v. 18, pp. 888-889), dis- 
cusses poisoning with atropine. — Reference from Ind. Med., 1905, 
p. 1052. 
Doyen and Kareff (Bull. Soc. med. d. hop. de Lyon) discuss the 
action of atropine on the liver and the coagulability of the blood.— 
Reference from Ind. Med., 1905, p. 788. 
AURI ET SODII CHLORIDUM. 
Goldschmidt, Carl, points out that gold may be quantitatively sepa- 
rated from solutions, either in the presence or absence of other metal- 
lic salts, by simply boiling the solution in a nickel or a nickel amal- 
gam dish. The gold separates out as a brownish powder. — Pharm. 
Zentralh., 1905, v. 46, p. 735. 
BALSAMUM PERUVIANUM. 
Francis, John M., in a review of the U. S. P., VIII, says, under 
balsam of Peru : 
Sufficient attention has not been paid to the quality of this balsam. The 
pfiarmacopoeial specifications will enable the pharmacist to protect himself if 
he will take the trouble to insist on their compliance. — Bull. Pharm., Detroit, 
1905, y. 19, p. 362. 
Wiebelitz (from the laboratory of Diedr. Buchmann) believes that 
the upper limit (1.150) for the specific gravity of balsam of Peru, 
allowed by the Ph. Germ., IV, is too low. He has found otherwise 
excellent balsam having a specific gravity of 1.154 and upwards and 
believes that the upper limit might well be placed at 1.155. — Pharm. 
Ztg., Berlin, 1905, v. 50, p. 779. 
Caeser and Loretz point out that in view of the increasing produc- 
tion of the so-called “ synthetic balsam of Peru ” it becomes more 
necessary to apply the available tests. They believe the sulphuric 
acid test to be unreliable and superfluous. The odor and the saponifi- 
cation and ester numbers are important. They also recommend the 
nitric acid test, practically as given in the U. S. P., VIII. — Geschafts 
Bericht von Caeser & Loretz, in Halle, a. S., 1905, pp. 9-78. 
Gehe & Co. report a liberal supply of excellent balsam of Peru and 
point out that the so-called “ synthetic balsam ” is not of satisfactory 
quality. Even apart from its nonconformity with the physical tests, 
this synthetic product could not be construed as being acceptable un- 
der the provisions of the Ph. Germ., IV, as that book clearly defines 
the origin and the method of obtaining balsam of Peru. — Gehe & Co., 
Handels-Bericht, Dresden, 1905, p. 13. 
Hellstrom, A., presents a comprehensive study of a sample of white 
balsam of Peru, with an introduction embodying many interesting 
historical and pharmacognostic notes. — Arch. d. Pharm., 1905, v. 243, 
p. 218. 
