Am,  Jour.  Pharm. ") 
Mar.,  1882.  j 
Varieties. 
137 
temperature,  and  forms  then  a  perfectly  colorless  liquid  of  the  sp.  gr. 
0-868,  which  boils  at  198°C.,  rotates  19°  to  the  left,  and  is  soluble  in 
alcohol,  ether,  and  glycerin.  Caustic  potassa  has  no  action  upon  the 
oil ;  bromine,  iodine,  and  nitric  acid,  however,  produce  a  violent  reac- 
tion, accompanied  in  the  first  instance  with  the  evolution  of  vapors  of 
hydrobromic  acid.  Hydrochloric  acid  gas  is  absorbed  by  the  oil,  form- 
ing a  liquid  compound  with  comphoraceous  odor ;  concentrated  sul- 
phuric acid  mixes  with  it  with  the  development  of  heat,  and  produces 
a  brown,  smeary  mass.  Its  elementary  composition  corresponds  to  the 
formula  of  Borneo  camphor,  CioH^gO ;  by  treatment  with  chloride  of 
zinc  it  yields  a  neutral,  viscid  hydrocarbon,  having  the  odor  of  turpen- 
tine and  the  composition  C^oH^g. — Jour,  der  Pharm.  et  de  Chim.,  July, 
1881,  p.  66. 
VAEIETIES. 
Effect  of  Drugs  on  Lactation.— The  practical  conclusions  of  Dolan 
and  Wood,  in  "Practitioner,"  are:  1.  Therapeutical  agents  intended  to  act 
on  the  mammary  gland  must  first  enter  the  blood.  2.  Drugs  derived  from 
the  natural  orders  Liliacese,  Cruciferse,  Solanacese,  Umbelliferse,  etc.,  enter 
the  blood  and  impregnate  the  milk,  hence  caution  is  needed  in  giving  such 
drugs  to  nursing  women.  8.  The  only  approach  to  a  true  galactagogue 
is  jaborandi.  4.  Belladonna  is  an  antigalactagogue.  5.  In  inaction  of 
the  mammse  the  milk  may  be  increased  and  influenced  by  medicines. 
6.  The  milk  may  be  increased  in  lieat-forming  elements  by  administration 
of  fats.  7.  The  salts  of  milk  are  improved  by  administration  of  medicines. 
8.  Various  physiological  actions— purgative,  alterative,  diuretic,  etc., — are 
produced  in  the  child  by  giving  drugs  to  the  mother.  9.  We  must  look  to 
diet  for  improvement  in  milk-sec:  eting  power,  both  as  to  the  quantity  and 
quality  of  the  milk. — Louisville  Medical  Neivs. 
A  New  Purgative.— The  "  Concours  Medical"  reports  that  Dr.  Rabu- 
teau  has  experimented  with  sulpho-phenate  and  sulpho-cresylate  of  sodium, 
and  has  obtained  excellent  purgative  effects  with  both.  A  dose  of  from  20 
to  25  grams  (^v  to  vj,  gr.  xv)  will  induce  seven  or  eight  stools  in  the  course 
of  a  day.  Those  salts  are  eliminated,  almost  totally,  without  any  change, 
and  their  use  is  advised  in  cases  of  fetid  diarrhoea.— J/ec?.  and  Surg.  Bep., 
February  11. 
Cottonseed  and  Olive  Oil  Mixtures.— G.  A.  Buchheister  procured 
a  sample  of  pure  cotton  oil  to  experiment  upon.  The  result  of  investiga- 
tion was,  after  finding  that  the  ordinary  tests,  sulphuric  and  nitric  acids, 
potash-lye,  ammonia,  etc.,  produced  no  characteristic  reactions,  a  simple 
