56S 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. [January H, 187T 
As a medicine, the highest value of the bromide lies 
in its remedial powers over epilepsy. On this point the 
general experience of the profession agrees pretty closely 
with that of Dr. R. Reynolds, who asserts that, in the 
vast majority of cases it is of signal service, and that, 
while it absolutely cures very many cases, it rarely fails 
to diminish notably the number of attacks where it does 
not cure. 
In many disorders producing or accompanied by men¬ 
tal disturbance or sleeplessness the drug renders very 
great service. 
In delirium tremens it has also proved of great ser¬ 
vice, calming the delirium, producing sleep, and remov¬ 
ing delusions. 
The bromide of potassium possesses yet further this 
advantage, that it can be given without any danger 
whatever. Certain inconveniences and discomforts may 
attend its exhibition, but no dangers. Thus, it not in¬ 
frequently excites acne or acneiform eruptions on the 
face or other parts; but, en revanche , acne of long stand¬ 
ing has sometimes entirely disappeared during its exhi¬ 
bition. In full doses, very rarely in moderate doses, the 
drug may induce redness of the palate, epigastric heat, 
oedema of the lining membrane of the mouth, and sali¬ 
vation, drowsiness, confusion of mind, depression, failure 
of memory in a remarkable degree, and weakness of the 
arms and legs; but all these evils entirely disappear on 
the discontinuance of the drug. No permanent ill-effects 
have ever been observed to follow its employment. 
Vegetable Wax in Japan. —From the notes of a 
short tour through the eastern parts of the provinces of 
Echigo, Iwashiro and Uzea, made in June and July of the 
present year by one of H.M.’s Consuls in Japan, wo ex¬ 
tract the following :—“ In passing through Yazawa and 
some other villages, we found hemp, said to be of good 
quality, grown in frequent localities on the way, and vege¬ 
table wax trees in abundance. I was informed at Tsugawa 
that the extraction of lacquer from the same tree is pro¬ 
hibited there, the tree being reserved for the production 
of wax. As the lacquer is obtained by making incisions 
in the bark of the tree while young, the result of which 
is the death of the tree before coming to full maturity, 
both products can hardly be obtained from the same 
tree. This appears to be the reason for the prohibition. 
At Yonezawa, on the other hand, the extraction of 
lacquer from the tree is permitted, the result of which is, 
that little vegetable wax is produced there. I observed 
that many of the trees in the neighbourhood of Tsugawa 
had been injured, apparently, by the severity of last 
winter.” The trees here alluded to are those belonging 
to the genus Hints ,—the most important wax-producing 
species in Japan being It. succcdanea , L., the bulk of the 
varnish being yielded by It. vernicifera , Dec. The wax is 
obtained from the small fruits, while the varnish is pro¬ 
cured by tapping the trees. The species met with at 
Tsugawa must have been It. suecedanea , as this species 
yields both wax and varnish. Several other species also 
yield varnish more or less in China and Japan. Little 
is known about the preparations of this varnish as used 
in the ancient lacquer-work of the Japanese; and it is 
said that the modern workers in this article in Japan have 
themselves lost the secret of its preparation.— Nature. 
_ Petroleum.— The year’s business in refined American 
oil has been on a most enormous scale, the exports from 
the United States up to the 16th of December, 1870, 
reaching the total of 3,251,374 barrels, against 2,496,046 
barrels for the w'hole oi 1869, although the shipments of 
1869 were in oxcess of any former year. It would thus 
appear that the supply is almost inexhaustible; and as 
the value of the year’s shipments is about £8,000,000, it 
will be seen how important a part petroleum plays in 
the world’s commerce. It is deplorable that the Act of 
1868 should, as it most undoubtedly does, seriously in¬ 
terfere with the growth of the trade in this eountrv. 
The dealers of the United Kingdom are harassed by 
laws that have no parallel either in America or the great 
consuming countries of the Continent. Meantime, the 
English public continue to pay higher prices than the 
inhabitants of more distant countries, who are not forced 
to import a special article, while the really dangerous 
petroleum spirit, or benzoline, is still admitted into our 
ports in growing quantities. The range during the past 
twelve months was from Is. od. per gallon to Is. 1 id .; 
and closing prices arc Is. G\d. for contract quality, and 
Is. 0>\d. to Is. 6 'Id. for fine.— Messrs. Phillips and Mibb’s 
‘ Trade Peport for 1870.’ 
APOTHECARY-GENERAL (IRELAND). 
Our readers will bo well satisfied to leam that, at the 
last moment, even after the date of the appointment had 
been fixed, the Commissioners, who, as we hinted last 
week, had changed their minds, communicated to the 
conference of the Poor-Law Guardians of the North and. 
South Dublin Unions, held on Friday, Jan. 6th, that 
they would not press this appointment in its present 
form. The suggestion of inspection which we proposed 
will probably be adopted. They do not appear to con¬ 
sider now that the qualification of apothecary will be a 
sine qua non, as it might have the effect of excluding 
eminently qualified individuals from competition. If 
the principle of inspection be adopted, there can hardly 
be less than four inspectors, one for each province, con¬ 
sidering that the number of dispensary stations and 
workhouses in Ireland is over twelve hundred. The- 
Commissioners add that the subject will probably bo 
brought before Parliament. We counsel the Poor-law 
medical officers of Ireland to see that their county repre¬ 
sentatives bring their claims not only for the holding of' 
the appointment, but also for assisting in the appointing; 
of these inspectors, before the members of Parliament 
for each county. In this first step towards promotion in 
Irish Poor-Law service, [they may rely on the political 
co-operation of both the British Medical Association and 
the Poor-Law Medical Officers’ Association of England. 
—British Medical Journal. 
DRUG MARKET NOTES. 
The following were among the parcels of drugs- 
offered for sale last week:— 
Aloes,—Cape, 149 cases; Barbadoes, 54 kegs; 
Socotrine, 45 boxes; East Indian, 23 packages. 
Castor Oil, 498 cases. 
Senna,—Tinnevelly, 90 bales ; Alexandrian, 20 
bales. 
Galls,—Bussorah, 04 sacks; Turkey, 173 bags. 
Talca Gum, 31 bales. 
Nux Vomica, 180 bags. 
Cardamoms,—Malabar, 0 cases; Madras, 3 cases. 
Ipecacuanha, 13 serons; Cartliagena, 0 barrels. 
Canella Alba, 20 cases. 
Cascarilla Bark, 50 sacks. 
Colocyntli, Turkey, 20 packages. 
Bark,—Soft Columbian, 107 serons; Calisaya, 
08 serons; Pitayo, 31 serons; Crown and Cartha- 
gena, 80 serons. 
Jalap, 42 bales and 2 bags. 
Gum Benjamin, 90 cases. 
Ergot of ltye, 0 cases. 
Tonquin Beans, 0 bags. 
China Vermilion, 9 boxes. 
Squills, 20 bags. 
Calabar Beans, 1 barrel. 
Chamomile Flowers, 20 bales. 
Senega Boot, 7 bales. 
