262 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
{Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1910. 
using  them  as  directed  in  the  several  pharmacopoeias  was  par- 
ticularly emphasized. 
Alkaloidal  Content  of  Solanaceous  Plants. — T.  Chevalier 
(Comptes  rend,  1910,  v.  150,  p.  344)  points  out  that  the  generally 
accepted  statement  that  wild  belladonna  is  richer  in  total  alkaloid 
than  the  cultivated  plant  would  appear  to  require  modification. 
A  series  of  cultural  experiments  show  that  by  employing  the  right 
manure  the  proportion  of  alkaloids  in  the  leaves  of  solanaceous 
plants  may  be  more  than  doubled. 
Apomorphine  Hydrochloride. — An  abstract  from  articles  by 
E.  Harnack,  H.  Hildebrandt  and  others  shows  that  a  trade  prepara- 
tion sold  as  apomorphine  hydrochloride  contained  from  66  to  75 
per  cent,  of  trimorphine  hydrochloride,  which  has  a  different 
physiological  action  to  apomorphine.  It  is  generally  known  that 
apomorphine  and  trimorphine  hydrochloride  cannot  be  sharply 
separated  by  salting  out  with  hydrochloric  acid.  The  presence 
of  large  quantities  of  trimorphine  hydrochloride,  however,  is  thought 
to  be  objectionable  (The  Pharm,  J.  and  Pharmacist,  London,  19 10, 
545). 
Boric  Acid,  as  a  Food  Preservative.— The  conclusions  which 
Dr.  Julius  Bernstein,  bacteriologist  to  the  City  of  Westminster, 
draws  from  a  series  of  experiments  directed  to  find  out  the  effect 
of  boric  acid  on  foods  are  worthy  of  attention.  He  finds  that 
boric  acid  to  the  extent  of  20  grains  to  the  pound  prevents  objective 
decomposition,  such  as  is  detectable  by  smell.  If  objective  putre- 
faction has  commenced,  it  inhibits  further  changes  of  this  kind, 
possibly  leading  to  diminution  in  the  smell.  It  has  a  marked  selec- 
tive activity  on  the  various  organisms,  inhibiting  the  growth  of 
yeasts  and  organisms  of  the  proteus  group,  and  possibly  other  harm- 
less saprophytes,  though  not  the  organisms  of  the  coli  group. 
(The  Pharm.  J.  and  Pharmacist,  London,  1910,  p.  509). 
Buchu  Leaves. — A  correspondent  discusses  the  collection  and 
marketing  of  buchu  leaves  in  Cape  Colony  and  points  out 
that  the  genus  Barosma  is  peculiar  to  the  Cape,  as  many  as  eight 
varieties  having  been  classified.  Of  these,  3  are  considered  of 
medicinal  value  in  Europe,  although  in  Cape  Colony  many  other 
varieties  are  used  in  domestic  medicine.  Barosma  betulina,  the 
official  variety,  is  the  one  chiefly  collected,  as  it  commands  much 
higher  prices,  as  does  B.  serratifolia.  In  this  connection  it  is 
interesting  to  note  that  20  years  ago  the  value  of  these  two 
