520  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference.  {^ovembe/fg™ 
Note  on  Formic  Acid  and  Some  Formates. 
By  George  Luman. 
The  author  described  the  chemical  properties  of  formic  acid, 
and  gave  the  strength  of  commercial  samples.  In  view  of 
the  fact  that  physicians  are  now  using  the  formates  as  muscular 
tonics,  Mr.  Luman  advises  a  combination  of  the  calcium,  sodium, 
and  strychnine  salts  in  an  aromatic  glycerin  menstruum,  as  thera- 
peutically the  best  mode  of  administration. 
The  Characters  and  Actions  of  the  Seeds  Omphalea  sp. 
and  Garcia  Nutans. 
By  J.  Theodore  Cash. 
The  author  states  that  while  the  seeds  are  all  of  euphorbiaceous 
origin,  those  of  the  Omphalea  species,  or  the  extracted  oil  therefrom, 
form  a  pleasant  and  simple  laxative,  while  the  seeds  of  Garcia 
Nutans  are  ten  times  as  powerful,  and  contain  an  acrid  principle 
with  a  marked  local  purgative  action,  the  effect  of  full  doses  being 
that  of  a  drastic  hydragogue  cathartic.  It  is  doubtful  whether  these 
drugs  will  find  a  place  in  medicine. 
Notes  on  the  Electrolytic  Administration  of  Drugs. 
By  T.  Maltby  Clague. 
The  writer  referred  to  experiments  by  Leduc  with  strychnine  and 
potassium  cyanide,  in  which  one  rabbit  was  killed  by  strychnine 
ions  given  off  at  the  positive  pole,  and  another  was  killed  by  cyano- 
gen ions  from  the  negative  pole.  He  also  alluded  to  results  obtained 
in  St.  Bartholomew's  Hospital  clinics  by  local  electroionic  applica- 
tions of  certain  salts,  and  among  other  cases  cited  the  following: 
A  patient  had  half  a  dozen  black  patches  on  the  face  due  to  the  use 
of  an  arsenic  ointment  which  evidently  had  formed  a  colloidal  de- 
posit. The  patient's  hand  was  placed  in  a  vessel  of  water  and  also 
the  positive  lead  from  6  cells,  and  a  pad  of  wet  lint  connected  with 
the  negative  pole  over  a  black  spot.  After  15  minutes  the  coloration 
was  completely  removed  from  the  skin,  and  the  pad  showed  the 
presence  of  arsenic  bv  Marsh's  test.  Similar  treatment  removed 
the  other  spots, 
