560  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  {AmNov.?i889arm' 
celluloids  may  be  prepared  from  gun-cotton,  and  that  these  may  be 
made  useful  for  surgical  dressings  and  for  many  laboratory  purposes. 
A  clear,  hard  and  strongly  adhesive  varnish  is  made  by  soaking 
pyroxylin  in  camphorated  phenol,  while  stirring,  and  spreading  it  on 
a  plane  surface  until  the  camphor  evaporates.— Repert.  de  phar.,  Aug. 
Dithiosalicylate  of  Soda. — Dr.  Liederborn  claims  that  this 
salt  may  advantageously  replace  the  salicylate  of  soda  in  the  treatment 
of  acute  articular  rheumatism.  There  are  two  isomeric  dithiosalicylic 
acids  and  two  of  its  salts  of  soda ;  the  writer  recommends  salt  II, 
which  is  the  result  of  the  combination  of  two  atoms  of  sulphur  with 
two  molecules  of  salicylate  of  soda.  It  appears  as  a  slightly  gray, 
hygroscopic  powder,  soluble  in  water.  Certain  bacilli  are  destroyed 
by  it  more  easily  than  by  the  salicylate  of  soda.  The  dose  is  20  cgm. 
morning  and  night ;  it  may  be  given  oftener  in  severe  cases.  Nausea, 
ringing  in  the  ears  and  transpirations  occur  when  the  dose  is  raised  to 
80  cgm.  It  is  more  energetic,  in  weaker  doses,  than  is  the  salicylate 
of  soda  and  is  easily  borne  by  the  stomach.  The  urine  gives  no 
coloration  with  the  perchloride  of  iron. — J.  de  phar.  d'Als-Lorr.  ; 
Repert  de  phar.,  Sept.  10. 
Crystallized  Phospho- citrate  of  Iron. — At  a  recent  meeting 
of  the  Congres  de  TMrapeutique  in  Paris,  M.  Lecerf  described  this 
salt  as  a  greenish- white  crystalline  powder,  soluble  in  cold  water, 
very  soluble  in  warm  water,  and  insoluble  in  alcohol.  It  oxidizes  in 
the  air,  taking  on  a  brown  color  which  gradually  deepens.  In  making 
it,  a  solution  of  ferrous  sulphate  is  precipitated  by  an  excess  of 
ammonia  phosphate ;  the  precipitate,  carefully  washed,  is  allowed  to 
macerate  for  5  days  at  a  temperature  of  104°  in  a  concentrated 
solution  of  citrate  of  ammonia.  This  solution  is  decanted  repeatedly 
until  it  becomes  nearly  colorless  and  the  precipitate  has  become  white. 
The  latter  is  then  rapidly  washed  with  distilled  water,  and  afterward 
with  alcohol,  and  is  dried  under  protection  from  the  air. 
Observations  upon  Cod-liver  Oil. — M.  Unger  gives  (Jour,  de 
Phar.  d'Anvers)  the  following  conclusions,  drawn  from  recent 
experiments:  1.  In  cod-liver  oil  the  phosphorus  and  the  iron  con- 
tained in  it  are  combined  with  albumen.  2.  In  the  good  qualities,  the 
albuminoid  bodies  have  undergone  no  alteration,  whilst  in  the  yellow 
and  the  brown  qualities  they  gradually  decompose.  3.  These  albumi- 
noids become  separated  from  from  the  oil  when  carbonic  acid  is  intro- 
duced into  a  mixture  of  the  oil  with  water.    4.  Pharmacists  should 
