^jSS'ilSf1111"}    Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  287 
ABSTEACTS  FROM  THE  FRENCH  JOURNALS. 
Translated  for  the  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy. 
Ointments  with  Tragacanth. — In  preparing  ointments  com- 
posed of  vaselin,  glycerin,  oxide  of  zinc  and  gum  tragacanth  it  is 
indispensable,  says  M.  P.  Yigier,  to  add  a  small  amount  of  water,  but 
this  should  be  done  with  certain  precautions.  He  advises  that  the 
gum  be  triturated  with  the  glycerin  and  a  small  quantity  of  water,  and 
the  mass  thus  obtained  mixed  with  the  oxide  of  zinc  already  made 
into  an  ointment. — Soc.  de  Phar.  de  Paris,  April  3. 
Mercurial  Ointment  with  Glycerite  of  Starch. — This 
mixture,  says  M.  Preud'homme,  is  not  homogeneous  as  ordinarily 
prepared,  but  may  be  made  so  by  the  addition  of  a  small  quantity  of 
lanolin. — Soc.  de  Phar.  de  Pains,  April  3. 
Action  of  Glycerin  upon  Vulcanized  Rubber. — M.  Morel- 
let  states  that  vulcanized  rubber  dipped  suddenly  into  boiling  glycerin 
takes  the  characters  of  non-vulcanized  rubber,  i.  e.,  that  its  parts  can 
readily  be  joined  and  that  it  dissolves  in  the  usual  solvents  of  caout- 
chouc. The  glycerin  must  be  boiling  at  the  time  of  first  contact. — 
Soc.  de  Phar.  de  Paris,  April  3. 
Petroleum  Soap. — At  the  request  of  Dr.  C.  Paul,  M.  Emery  has 
made  a  petroleum  soap  suitable  for  therapeutic  uses.  The  formula  is  as 
follows  :  Petroleum,  50  parts  ;  white  beeswax,  40  parts ;  alcohol  of  90 
per  cent.  50  parts ;  hard  soap  (Savon  de  Marseille),  100  parts.  The  petro- 
leum, wax  and  alcohol  are  put  together  iuto  a  matrass  and  heated  in  a 
water-bath  until  they  melt;  the  soap  is  then  added.  When  the  mixture 
becomes  homogeneous  the  matrass  is  removed  and  agitated  until  the 
contents  become  of  a  creamy  consistence;  it  is  then  poured  into  molds. 
It  is  not  absolutely  necessary  to  use  ethylic  alcohol,  which  serves  merely 
to  facilitate  the  reduction  of  the  wax  and  the  soap.  The  soap  thus  ob- 
tained contains  about  one  quarter  of  its  weight  of  petroleum.  It  is 
very  homogeneous  and  firm,  and  emulsifies  easily.  Parts  washed 
with  it  do  not  remain  impregnated  with  petroleum,  as  is  ordinarily 
the  case  in  preparations  of  this  kind. — P&pert.  de  phar.,  May  10. 
Strophantate  of  Lime. — The  diuretic  properties  of  this  prepa- 
ration have  been  pointed  out  by  M.  Catillon  (American  Journal 
of  Pharmacy,  1889,  p.  137) ;  its  characters  are  described  as  follows 
in  a  report  to  the  Soc.  de  Therap. :  This  compound  is  tasteless,  deli- 
quescent and  of  an  alkaline  reaction  ;  sulphuric  acid  gives  with  it  an 
abundant  precipitate  of  sulphate  of  lime ;  carbonic  acid  does  not  dis- 
