Am. -Tour  Pharm,  1 
Sept.,  1881.  J 
Varieties. 
477 
Bromide  of  Ethyl  in  Epileipsy  and  Hysteria. — Olier  and  Bourne- 
ville  ("L'Union  Medicale")  recently  reported  to  the  French  Biological 
Society  the  results  of  two  months'  experimentation  with  bromide  of  ethyl 
on  epilej)tic  and  hysterical  patients. 
In  the  hysterical  cases  they  found  that  the  remedy,  administered  at  the- 
beginning  of  the  attack,  completely  checked  the  convulsions.  In  the  epi- 
leptics, on  t  he  attack  coming  on  during  a  tonic  period,  the  bromide  of  ethyl 
appeared  to  act  sometimes  in  such  a  way  as  to  suppress  the  convulsions  and 
produce  complete  muscular  relaxation  ;  often  the  attack  was  diminished  in 
intensity  and  duration ;  sometimes  the  remedy  was  without  effect. — Chicago 
Med.  Beview^  1881,  p.  134. 
Apocynum  cannabinum  in  Anasarca. — Bright's  disease  is  becoming 
the  fashionable  disease  to  study,  more  especially  since  Charcot,  who  sets^ 
the  fashion  for  many  physicians  in  the  United  States,  has  been  paying 
much  attention  to  it ;  these  symptoms  have  been  chiefly  23athological  and 
syniptomatological.  However,  many  independent  observers  have  dealt 
with  it  from  the  therapeutical  aspect,  and  Dr.  J.  S.  Dabney  (New  Orleans 
"Medical  and  Surgical  Journal,"  Feb.,  1881)  has  found,  he  claims,- that 
apocyum  cannabinum  is  one  of  the  best  diuretics  and  hydragogue  cathar- 
tics that  can  be  employed  In  the  disease,  as  it  causes  not  only  marked  dim- 
inution of  the  anasarca,  but  also  decrease  in  the  albumen  and  casts.  He 
claims  for  it  certain  advantages  :  First,  a  small  quantity  only  is  necessary 
to  produce  diuresis,  emesis  or  catharsis.  Second,  it  has  an  agreeable  aro- 
matic taste.  Third,  it  has  tonic  properties.  Fourth,  its  harmlessness,, 
free  emesis  resulting  from  an  overdose.  While  many  of  these  claims  seem 
rather  strained,  still  there  appears  to  be  but  little  doubt  that  the  remedy  is 
of  much  value  in  ascites,  anasarca  and  allied  conditions. — Buffalo  Med. 
and  Surg.  Jour.^  June ;  Medical  Review. 
Desiccated  Ox  Blood  and  Hemoglobin.— Dr.  Le  Bon  says  that 
desiccated  ox  blood  and  hemoglobin  has  been  thoroughly  tried  in  the  Pari& 
hospitals  and  found  very  efficacious  in  debilitated  patients.  It  is  indicated 
in  those  cases  that  require  raw  meat,  iron  or  the  phosphates.  The  elixirs 
or  wines  sold  as  containing  the  essential  principles  of  blood  or  meat  are  of 
comparatively  little  value,  and  are  devoid  of  the  nutritive  properties  con- 
tained in  the  albuminoid  principles  which  are  so  essential. — St.  Louis 
Courier^  April,  p.  327 ;  Med.  Times  and  Oazette. 
Pepsin. — Dr.  L.  AVolff'  has  tested  siimples  of  Dr.  Carl  Jensen's  jDcpsin 
and  found  that  one  grain  of  it  dissolved  in  a  little  water,  by  the  aid  of  32, 
drops  of  hydrochloric  acid,  C  P.,  and  diluted  with  6  ozs.  water,  after  acting 
for  four  hours  at  a  temperature  of  103°  F.  on  760  grains  coagulated  white 
of  egg,  well  comminuted,  left  an  undissolved  residue,  which  appeared 
much  softened  and  semi-translucent,  weighing  180  grains,  thus  proving  its 
digestive  power  to  be  1  to  580.  The  solution  of  white  of  egg  so  obtained 
possessed  the  characteristic  color  of  fresh  peptones,  was  yellowish  and 
slightly  opaque ;  it  did  not  coagulate  on  boiling,  nor  on  the  addition  of 
alcohol  or  an  alkali. — Med.  Bulletin^  May,  p.  120. 
