Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
Aug.,  1881.  J 
Varieties. 
423 
Piazza's  Fluid  in  N^vi. — The  composition  of  this  caustic  fluid  is: 
R    Ferri  chloridi,  ....  ^viss 
Sodii  chloridi,         ....  ^iiiss 
Aqu£e  destill.,  .  '  .  .  ^ii  M. 
A  single  drop  of  this  is  injected  by  M.  de  Saint  Germain  into  nsevi,  and 
repeated  at  intervals  of  eight  days.  Eac'h  injection  produces  a  small  scar, 
and  the  operation  is  only  complete  when  the  whole  surface  of  the  nsevus 
has  been  transformed  into  a  scar. — Ibid. 
Some  Recently  Discovered  Medicinal  Plants. — If  a  very  little  of 
what  is  heralded  as  the  medicinal  virtues  of  j)lants  turned  out  true,  it 
would  be  a  most  gratifying  fact.    However,  it  is  well  to  record  all  for  trial. 
Hieraciuyn  venosum. — Observations  are  given  by  Dr.  W.  Stump  For- 
wood  in  the  "  Quarterly  Transactions  of  the  Lancaster  (Pa.)  Medical  Soci- 
ety," April,  1881,  to  show  that  this  may  prove  of  value  in  phthisis.  At 
least,  it  seems  to  have  a  well-deserved  reputation  for  that  disease  among 
cattle.    The  infusion  is  used. 
JEuphorbla  villosa. — In  the  Ukraine  and  Gallicia  this  plant  is  said  to  be 
regarded  as  an  unfailing  remedy  against  hydrophobia,  provided  it  is  taken 
within  five  or  six  days  of  the  infection.  Unusually  good  evidence  seems 
to  be  in  its  isiVov.—Allg.  Med.  Cent.  Zeitung^  March  26,  1881. 
Convallaria  majalis. — Clinical  and  physiological  exj)eriments  with  this 
herb  are  reported  in  the  "  Centralblatt  fiir  Klin.  Med.,"  by  Dr.  Bojojaw- 
lensky  and  Troitzky  (No.  47,  18S0  ;  No.  1,  1881).  In  organic  heart  disease 
its  effects  equal  those  of  digitalis ;  the  urine  is  increased,  serous  deposits 
are  rapidly  absorbed,  nervousness  is  diminished  ;  cumulative  effects  were 
not  observed.— cmd  Surg.  JRep.,  June  4. 
Advance  in  Therapeutics  in  1880. — New  remedies  many,  a  few  good, 
many  bad,  most  indifferent.  Tonga  valuable  in  facial  neuralgia  ;  sulphide 
of  calcium  in  suppuration — its  action  marked  and  reliable,  grain  doses  now 
admitted ;  the  nitrites  of  potassium  and  sodium  have  the  action  of  amyl 
nitrite,  but  milder;  ergot  (again?)  found  useful  in  diabetes;  pilocarpin 
useless  in  hydrophobia,  which  still  defies  all  treatment ;  this  last  drug,  tried 
in  many  diretions,  gave  meagre  results ;  benzoate  of  sodium  commended 
in  scarlet  fever  and  gonorrhoeal  ophthalmia  ;  salicylate  of  sodium,  accord- 
ing to  Dr.  Greenhow,  mitigates  but  little  the  complications  of  rheumatic 
fever,  while  it  may  be  a  positive  injury  to  the  heart;  salicin  is  ineffica- 
cious, while  salicylate  of  quinia  is  highly  praised  by  Dr.  Hewan  ;  the  value 
of  cold  baths  in  typhoid  fever  have  become  more  than  doubtful. — Chicago 
Med.  Jour,  and  Exam.,  April. 
Improved  Dover's  Powder. — Dr.  H.  D.  Vosbough,  of  Lyons,  writes: 
"After  trying  various  compounds,  I  have  for  several  years  used  the  follow- 
ing with  results  entirely  satisfactory. 
"  In  order  to  keep  gum  camphor  in  a  perfect  powder  I  grind  it  with  an 
equal  bulk  of  the  English  creta  prseparata ;  this  I  dispense  as  pulverized 
camphor.    Now,  my  Dover's  powder  is  compounded  as  follows,  viz. : 
