September 3, 1870.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
189 
smiled at the latter part of the advice. Could the scent 
of herbs and flowers do more than conceal the presence 
of infectious matter in -the air F Mantegazza now replies 
in the affirmative. He says that in the oxidation of the 
essences of odoriferous plants a large quantity of ozone 
is evolved, at least as much as is produced by phosphorus 
or electricity; also that, in the greater number of these 
cases, ozone is developed only by the direct rays of the 
sun, although in others the action, commencing in solar 
light, is found to continue in darkness. Some details of 
these interesting experiments have appeared in the scien¬ 
tific periodicals, so I need only mention that among the 
plants which largely develope ozone on exposure to the 
rays of the sun, are cherry-laurel, clove and lavender; 
among flowers, the narcissus, hyacinth and mignonette; 
and among perfumes, similarly exposed, eau de Cologne, 
oil of bergamot and some aromatic tinctures. Flowers 
destitute of perfume are said not to produce ozone. The 
professor, therefore, recommends the cultivation of herbs 
and odorous flowers in marshy districts and in places in¬ 
fected with animal emanations. 
“ The destruction of the demon Malaria, by a spirit be¬ 
gotten by sunlight out of flowers—if it be confirmed by 
subsequent observation—not only explains the good 
effects of what might seem to have been merely specu¬ 
lative or empirical advice, but also affords a. beautiful 
confirmation of an ancient myth by modern science. 
When Apollo the Healer, by his life-inspiring* and 
health-restoring rays, penetrates the loveliest objects in 
creation, and draws forth from them a mysterious puri¬ 
fier, a mighty but invisible disinfectant,—the god of 
Medicine may be said to administer to a plague-stricken 
people a most potent remedy concealed in the most 
grateful and attractive forms.” 
CARDED OAKUM. 
The Lancet , speaking of the use of carded oakum as a 
surgical dressing in war, says so many advantages are 
possessed by it “that we expect it to be largely em¬ 
ployed in the military hospitals of France and Germany 
during the present war. As, however, its qualities are 
not yet so widely known as they should be, it may be 
useful at the present juncture to refer to them. The 
material is simply old rope shredded in prisons and 
workhouses, and carded by machinery. It is of a bright 
brown colour, with the well-known tarry fragrance. A 
little of the oakum is roughly drawn into a suitable 
shape for covering the wound, then wetted, and applied 
to it. All discharge is absorbed by the dressing, and 
any bad odour is effectually destroyed. By dipping it 
into hot water, and covering it with oil-silk, a conve¬ 
nient antiseptic poultice is formed, easily made, very 
light and answering perfectly its purpose. It thus 
supersedes the use of Lint, ointments and linseed-meal 
or bread-poultices. It is easily burnt—no small advan¬ 
tage in a crowded hospital, where bad-smelling applica¬ 
tions are a fertile source of disease if not quickly de¬ 
stroyed. Its simplicity of application saves much time 
and labour—a great consideration where the nursing 
staff is overtaxed, as must always happen after serious 
engagements. Its cheapness is another great advantage. 
Carded oakum can be procured, we believe, for some¬ 
thing like 9 cl. per pound, about a fifth or sixth of the 
cost of lint. In America, during the civil war, carded 
oakum was largely employed. It has also been in use 
for some years at the Children’s Hospital in Great 
Ormond Street, and at St. George’s during the last 
twelvemonth its use has superseded other dressings in 
the hands of several members of the surgical staff.” 
Mr. T. Westhorpe, of the Falcon Works, West India 
Road, who manufactures the machine-picked oakum, in 
a letter to the Times , points out that the Lancet is wrong 
in asserting that “the material is simply old rope 
shredded in prisons and workhouses and carded by ma¬ 
chinery.” He says, “I beg to say that the material 
supplied by me, and now used for some time past in the 
Children’s Hospital, St. George’s Hospital, the London 
Hospital and other hospitals, and known as ‘marine 
lint for surgical purposes,’ has not a particle of old rope 
in it. A most careful examination of the marine lint, 
and also of oakum picked at prisons and workhouses, 
has been made at my manufactory this day by one of the 
principal surgeons of our large hospitals. Having in¬ 
spected various bales taken from some ten tons of the 
latter, I think I may fairly state his opinion to be that 
the impurities contained in workhouse and prison-picked 
oakum, and not to be got rid of by carding, render it 
anything but a desirable application to wounds. Doubt¬ 
less in a few days we shall have a report from those 
who are using the marine lint on the battle-fields.” 
NEW TEST SOLUTION FOR SUGAR. 
J. Loewe recommends the use of glycerin in place of 
tartaric acid for the preparation of an alkaline copper 
solution for the detection of sugar. Glycerin entirely 
prevents the precipitation of oxide of copper, and the 
solution prepared with it has the advantage of being less 
liable to alteration when kept than the tartaric solu¬ 
tion is. 
To prepare a test liquid of this kind 16 grams of sul¬ 
phate of copper should be dissolved in 64 parts of water; 
to this solution is gradually added 80 c.c. of soda solution 
(1*34 sp. gr.), then 6 or 8 grams of glycerin, which re¬ 
dissolves the hydrated oxide of copper that had been 
precipitated. 
This liquid should not become turbid when diluted 
with two-thirds of bulk of water nor when boiled. 
The copper solution may also be prepared by dissolv¬ 
ing hydrated oxide of copper in a mixture of glycerin 
and caustic soda. The hydrated oxide is best obtained 
by adding soda solution to an ammoniacal solution of 
sulphate of copper, washing the precipitate and drying 
over oil of vitriol. 
For 6 grams of this hydrated oxide there should be 6 
or 8 grams of glycerin, 50 grams of water and 56 grams 
of soda solution of the strength above mentioned. This 
mixture is then diluted as may be requisite. The author 
prefers this solution to the other. It does not become 
turbid with alcohol. 
The solutions will not bear considerable dilution with¬ 
out depositing hydrated oxide of copper, but this may be 
prevented by increasing the proportion of glycerin or of 
soda.— Zeitschrift fur analytische Chemie. 
NEW SOURCE OF CITRIC ACID. 
Professor 0. Silvester, of the Catanian University, has 
recently discovered that the fruit of Cyphomanclra betacea 
contains a large quantity of citric acid. 
The plant belongs to the Solanacece, and it occurs here 
and there in gardens throughout Sicily. It is a native 
of Mexico, is frequent in Peru and other parts of South 
America, where it is called Tomate de la Paz. The fruit 
contains from 1 to 1*5 per cent, of pure citric acid.— 
Cosmos. 
Modification of Bones by Earths in the Pood. 
—M. Papillon has recently communicated to the Aca¬ 
demy of Sciences in Paris some interesting results of 
experiments in which pigeons and rats had various 
earthy salts mixed with their food. After continuing 
this for several months the animals showed no sign of 
being affected. On examination of their bones it was 
found that considerable quantities of strontia and alu¬ 
mina had been accumulated in them according as their 
| food had been mixed with a salt of strontia or alumina. 
