612  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  {Amv™*\m&Tm' 
remove  the  metallic  particles,  and  put  away  in  glass-stoppered 
bottles.  In  using,  a  square  of  25  centimeters  is  placed  upon  the 
chest,  or,  at  night,  in  a  small,  open  bag  upon  the  patient's  pillow 
within  the  influence  of  the  respiratory  organs.  These  flannels  give 
off  mercurial  vapors  for  years,  but  the  dose  gets  too  weak  for  thera- 
peutic purposes  in  about  three  weeks,  when  they  should  be  renewed. 
They  are  eligible  for  use  against  pediculi  pubis  and  other  skin  para- 
sites.— Repert.  de  Phar.}  Oct. 
Composition  of  Absinthe. — As  one  result  of  physiological  and 
chemical  researches  made  on  absinthe  by  M.  M.  Cadeac  and  Albin 
Meunier  [Acad,  de  Mid.,  Sept.  10),  the  constituents  of  absinthe,  as 
ordinarily  made,  are  given  as  follows:  volatile  oils  of  anis,  6  gm. ; 
of  illicium,  4  gm.  ;  absinthium,  2  gm. ;  coriander,  2  gm. ;  fennel,  2 
gm. ;  menthe,  1  gm.;  hyssop,  1  gm.;  angelica,  1  gm. ;  melissa,  1  gm. ; 
alcohol,  70  per  of  cent.,  colored  with  the  fresh  leaves  of  dead  nettle 
[orfo'e]  or  parsley.  The  authors  think  that  the  poisonous  properties  of 
absinthe  liquor  are  chiefly  due  to  the  oils  of  anis  and  of  illicium ;  not 
that  these  are  very  toxic  in  the  ordinary  sense,  but  that  they  constitute 
a  poison  against  the  nervous  centres,  diminish  muscular  energy,  para- 
lyze the  will,  cause  vertigo,  trembling,  stupor,  etc.,  and,  at  times,  epi- 
leptiform convulsions.  The  authors  think  that  the  wormwood 
contained  in  the  liquor  is  nearly  innocuous,  and  that  the  formula  would 
be  sufficiently  amended  by  largely  decreasing  the  amounts  of  illicium 
and  anis  contained  in  it. 
Disinfectant  Dentifkice. — Prota-Giurleo  gives  the  following  : 
Alcohol  of  40  per  cent.  500  ;  camphor,  10 ;  salicylic  acid,  20 ;  ben- 
zoin, 50;  clove  stalks,  100;  hypochlorite  of  lime,  50;  essence  of  anis, 
20;  glycerin,  500.  All  of  the  substances  except  the  hypochlorite 
and  anis  are  placed  in  a  strong,  closed  flask  which  is  subjected  in  a 
water  bath  to  60°  C.  of  heat  for  five  hours,  agitating  occasionally. 
After  macerating  for  eight  days  and  filtering,  the  hypochlorite  is 
added,  when  a  further  maceration  of  eight  days  is  given,  when  the 
anis  is  added  and  the  preparation  is  finally  filtered.  The  liquid  should 
be  put  up  in  small  blue  or  yellow  phials.  This  preparation  perfumes 
the  mouth,  whitens  the  teeth  and  frees  the  adherent  tartar.  It  also 
hardens  the  gums  and  arrests  gingival  hemorrhages.  For  a  mouth- 
wash two  teaspoonfuls  are  added  to  a  quart  of  water. — Farm.Ital. ; 
Boll.  Ital. ;  Repert.  de  Phar.,  Oct. 
Reactions  of  the  Naphthols. — The  naphthols  are  very  soluble 
