584 
Varieties. 
j  Am.  Jour.  Pliarm. 
I      Nov.,  1882. 
First :  Their  deep  penetration.  Tlie  oleic  acid  gives  tlieni  active  ability  to 
penetrate  rapidly  into  the  animal  economy,  and  renders  any  salt  with 
which  it  is  combined  more  active  and  eftective  in  dermic  medication. 
Second  :  Their  freedom  from  rancidity.  Third  :  Tlieir  cleanliness  of  appli- 
cation. Fourth:  Their  great  economy.  Fifth:  Their  antisei3tic  action, 
Oleate  of  zinc  is  of  great  value  in  hyperidrosis  and  osmedrosis  and  eczema 
vesiculosum  .  Oleate  of  copper  is  of  great  value  in  tinea.  Oleate  of  alumina 
is  of  great  value  in  checking  muco-purulent  discharges.  Oleate  of  iron  has 
a  mild  astringent  action.  Oleate  of  arsenic  is  of  value  in  lupus  and  the 
ulcerating  variety  of  epithelioma,  and  is  better  borne  than  other  forms  of 
arsenic.  The  surface  must  first  be  abraded,  otherwise  there  is  no  result. 
Oleate  of  silver  is  of  value  as  a  local  application  in  erysipelas,  and  when 
sprinkled  over  old  chronic  ulcers  sets  up  a  healthier  state  of  the  parts.  It 
is  of  use  in  carbuucles  and  boils,  and  will  often  arrest  pustulation  in  its 
earlier  stages. — Chicago  Medical  Review^  June  1. 
The  Proper  Dose  of  Conium.— Seguin  ("Archiv.  of  Medicine,"  April, 
1882),  commenting  upon  the  dose  of  this  agent  (he  employs  the  fluid 
extract,  Squibb),  says  that  to  get  any  effect  from  it  we  must  use  much 
larger  doses  than  are  usually  recommended.  He  says  use  it  in  chorea, 
spasm  or  paralyzed  limbs,  general  irritability  and  insomnia.  To  obtain 
muscular  relaxation,  as  in  chorea,  after  a  few  tentative  doses  of  20  and  40 
minims,  he  gives  60,  80  or  even  100  minims,  which  cause  ptosis  (sometimes 
diplojiia)  and  paresis  of  arms  and  legs.  He  does  not  repeat  until  the  effects 
have  passed  off— 12  to  24  hours.  He  has  almost  perfectly  cured  a  chronic 
adult  chorea  of  14  years'  duration  by  teaspoonful  doses  daily  for  a  month  or 
more.  Many  cases  of  insomnia  with  wakefulness  in  the  first  part  of  the 
night,  more  especially  those  with  fidgets  or  physical  restlessness,  are  very 
much  benefited  by  coniam — ni.  xx  w^ith  gr.  xx  bromide  of  potassium,  to  be 
repeated  if  necessary.  The  indications  of  conium  can  only  be  fulfilled  by 
obtaining  its  physiological  effects,  between  which  and  the  toxic  effects 
there  is  a  wide  difference. — Md.  Med.  Jour.;  South.  Med.  Record. 
Bromide  of  Potassium  in  Diabetes.— The  Paris  correspondent  of  the 
"  Medical  Press  "  says  :  Before  the  meeting  of  the  Academic  de  MMicine 
a  member  read  a  paper  on  the  treatment  of  diabetes  by  bromide  of  potas- 
sium. For  the  last  six  years  the  author  has  made  this  disease  the  object  of 
his  researches,  and  during  that  period  he  treated  fifteen  cases.  He  ignored 
entirely  the  classic  regime  of  gluten  bread,  etc.,  being  of  the  opinion  that 
the  disease  consisted,  not  in  the  presence  of  sugar  in  the  urine,  but  in  the 
disorder  of  the  organism,  which  produced  the  sugar  in  excess.  Having 
had  a  patient  that  was  diabetic,  but  who  consulted  him  for  certain  nervous 
affections,  he  observed  that  under  the  influence  of  the  bromide  of  jDotassium, 
of  which  he  prescribed  a  drachm  a  day,  the  former  disease  yielded.  Ever 
since,  the  author  has  entirely  adopted  this  drug  in  the  treatment  of  the  dis- 
ease in  question,  and  always  with  good  results.  The  author  farther  insists 
on  the  necessity  of  employing  muscular  exercise  of  every  kind.  Alkalies, 
iron,  arsenic,  quinine,  according  to  indications,  form  part  of  the  general 
treatment.  One  point  worthy  of  remark  in  the  communication  is  the 
complete  disregard  as  to  r6gime.^^ — Louisv.  Med.  News,  Oct.  28. 
