398  The  Pharmacist  and  the  Microscope.  {x™Lll^\m™' 
a  frog.  The  frog  soon  grew  weak,  almost  paralyzed,  but  did  not 
die.  On  the  contrary,  it  gradually  recovered,  but  after  ten  days 
was  not  yet  quite  normal.  It  was  then  killed ;  no  extravasations 
were  visible.  (With  a  larger  dose  of  sulphate  of  ammonium  injected 
into  another  frog,  it  was  shown  that  this  salt  called  forth  quite  dif- 
ferent symptoms.) 
From  the  experiments  here  related,  it  may  be  seen  that  the  prin- 
cipal venomous  elements  of  the  heloderm  saliva  consist  partly  of  nucle- 
iniferous  substances  and  partly  of  albumoses. 
By  special  experiments  it  was  at  last  shown  that  aqueous  extract 
from  the  poisonous  glands  of  the  heloderma  and  tlie  blood  of  that 
animal  possessed  poisonous  qualities. 
Consequently,  my  observations  most  decidedly  support  the  asser- 
tion of  the  majority  of  experimenters,  especially  Weir  Mitchell  and 
Reichert,  that  the  heloderms  are  specifically  poisonous  animals,  even 
if,  as  a  rule,  they  are  not  aggressive  towards  men,  and,  on  account 
of  their  sluggishness,  only  seldom  do  any  harm.  A  heloderma  is, 
at  all  events,  an  individual  to  be  suspected,  even  if  it  does  give  but 
very  little  reason  for  the  name  "  horridum."  As  a  playmate  for 
children  (Cfr.  Weir  Mitchell  and  Reichert,  note  6),  it  is  certainly 
not  suitable. 
Stockholm,  June,  1897. 
THE  PHARMACIST  AND  THE  MICROSCOPE.1 
By  Henry  Kraemer. 
The  topic  of  "  The  Microscope  in  Pharmacy  "  is  by  no  means  a 
new  one.  In  this  country  for  at  least  the  past  twenty  years  it  has 
been  a  theme  upon  which  comparatively  many  have  written.  Upon 
looking  over  some  of  these  papers  one  is  struck  with  the  loyalty  of 
the  authors  to  the  microscope,  in  describing  its  construction,  uses 
and  even  possibilities.  Nevertheless,  one  cannot  but  feel  that  the 
situation  has  been  viewed  in  most  cases  from  some  other  stand- 
point rather  than  the  practice  of  the  profession  of  pharmacy.  The 
idea  that  seems  to  pervade  the  atmosphere  is  that  all  that  is  neces- 
sary for  the  pharmacist  is  to  procure  the  necessary  apparatus  (mi- 
croscopes, reagents,  etc.)  and  books  and  to  follow  the  directions 
given.    One  furthermore  receives  the   impression   that,  because 
1  Presented  at  the  New  York  State  Pharm.  Assoc.,  July  13,  1897. 
