AmiSSstPimm'}    Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  417 
from  its  use.  Thus  far  it  has  been  prescribed  with  apparent  success 
in  cardiac  affections,  mental  maladies  and  hysteria. — Revista  rued.; 
Nouu.  Bern.,  May  24. 
Mixture  of  Exalgix. — According  to  M.  H.  Jouisse  (Nouv.  Rem., 
July  8)  an  agreeable  and  unalterable  preparation  of  exalgin  may  be 
made  as  follows  :  Exalgin,  2  gm.  ;  tr.  aurant.  cort,  5  gm. ;  syr. 
aurant.  flor.,  30  gm.  ;  aox.  dest.,  120  gm.  The  exalgin  should  be  dis- 
solved in  the  tincture  and  the  syrup  added  ;  afterwards  the  water.  A 
tablespoonful  contains  20  cgm.  of  exalgin. 
Differential  Characters  of  Strychxixe  axd  Exalgix. — A 
few  practical  points  are  thus  presented  by  M.  H.  Jouisse,  Nouv.  Rem., 
July  8  :  Exalgix  (ortho-methylacetanilid) — an  odor  of  raspberry, 
increasing  with  heat;  no  bitter  taste;  causes  anaesthesia  on  the  point 
of  the  tongue :  on  trituration  the  raspberry  odor  is  disengaged ;  a  so- 
lution of  tannic  acid  added  to  a  solution  of  exalgin  gives  no  precipi- 
tate. Strychxixe — a  slight  ethereal  odor;  bitter  taste  without  anaes- 
thesia; trituration  gives  an  odor  as  of  scorched  bread;  tannic  acid 
solutions  give  flocculent  precipitate;  with  permanganate  of  potash 
(the  mixture  being  treated  with  sulphuric  acid)  strychnine  gives  an 
orange  color,  turning  to  a  brick  red.  Exalgin  gives  a  brown  color 
which  so  remains,  although  it  gets  gradually  paler.  The  writer  pre- 
sents these  reactions  in  the  fear  that  strychnine  and  exalgin  may  be 
mistaken  for  each  other  on  account  of  the  close  resemblance  of  their 
crystallized,  preparations. 
Sugar  of  Mile  as  a  Diuretic. — In  a  communication  to  the 
Academie  de  Medecine  Prof.  Germain  See  reports  his  researches  con- 
cerning lactose,  which  lie  describes  as  the  substance  to  which  milk 
owes  its  power  as  a  diuretic.  He  found  that  potions  containing  100 
gm.  of  lactose  "  produced  an  enormous  diuresis  such  as  cannot  cer- 
tainly be  obtained  with  4  or  5  liters  of  milk.''  He  thought  that  in 
milk  the  action  of  lactose  is  obstructed  by  the  presence  of  casein  and 
fat.  In  cardiac  cases,  with  dyspnoea,  the  lactose  should  be  combined 
with  iodide  of  potassium. — Nouv.  Rem.,  June  24. 
Odorless  Yaleriax. — M.  Jouillard  lately  examined  some  of 
Meglin's  pills,  which,  though  composed  of  extract  of  valerian,  were 
free  from  the  characteristic  odor  of  that  drug.  He  learned  that  the 
pills  had  been  made  from  an  extract  prepared  in  vacuo.  The  removal 
of  air  pressure  had  caused  the  aromatic  principle  to  volatilize. — &  de 
Ph.  de  Paris;  Repert.  de  Phar.,  June  10. 
