292 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
A.m.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June.  1904. 
number  of  sources  of  artificial  light,  also  by  a  vacuum  or  X-ray  tube 
in  action. 
Charpentier  has  demonstrated  that  the  human  body  is  a  constant 
and  varying  source  of  N-rays,  depending  apparently  on  the 
activity  of  the  tissues  composing  the  particular  part  under  observa- 
tion. 
The  Constitution  of  Epinephrin. — According  to  Dr.  H.  A.  D. 
Jowett,  it  is  now  generally  considered  that  the  Epinephrin  of  Abel, 
Suprarenin  of  Furth  and  the  Adrenalin  of  Takamine  are  in  reality 
more  or  less  pure  forms  of  the  same  constituent ;  a  catechol  deriva- 
tive with  possibly  a  hydrogenized  pyrrhol  nucleus. 
His  investigations  of  this  material  have  led  him  to  agree  with 
Aldrich  that  it  has  the  composition  C9H13N.03.  (Client,  and  Drug., 
1904,  page  276.) 
A  Danger  of  Adrenalin. — Neugebauer  [Am.  Med.f  1904,  page  762, 
from  Centbl.  f.  Phar.)  reports  that  he  has  seen  several  cases  of  local- 
ized gangrene  following  the  use  of  solutions  to  which  adrenalin  had 
been  added,  for  the  infiltration-method  of  local  anaesthesia. 
Elderly  persons  were  especially  liable  to  this,  and  he  therefore 
cautions  against  the  use  of  adrenalin  in  old  people. 
Bactericidal  Powers  of  Alcohols. — G.  Wirgin  (Zeit.  f.  Byg.,  1904, 
page  149,  through  Brit,  and  Col.  Drug.,  1904,  page  351),  from  a 
large  number  of  experiments  that  he  has  made,  concludes  that  the 
disinfecting  power  of  an  alcohol  rises  with  its  molecular  weight. 
Tertiary  alcohols,  however,  are  weaker  than  primary  or  secondary 
alcohols  of  the  same  series.  The  strength  of  an  aqueous  solution 
which  acts  most  powerfully  is,  for  methyl  alcohol,  60  to  70  per  cent.; 
ethyl  alcohol,  60  per  cent.;  propyl  alcohol  30  per  cent.,  and  for 
the  higher  alcohols  the  saturated  solutions. 
Upon  dry  germs  absolute  alcohols  are  practically  without  action, 
and  the  same  is  true  of  the  higher  concentrations  of  water  soluble 
alcohols. 
Alcohol  from  Faces. — The  wide  publication  that  was  given  to  the 
proposition  that  it  was  possible  to  obtain  alcohol  from  the  destruc- 
tive distillation  of  faecal  matter  has  apparently  led  to  a  more  or 
less  widespread  misconception  of  the  commercial  practicability  of 
the  scheme.  While  it  has  been  asserted  that  as  much  as  7  or 
even  9  per  cent,  of  alcohol  has  been  obtained  from  faecal  matter, 
these  statements  have  so  far  at  least  not  been  duplicated  by  repu- 
