292  Practical  Notes  from  Various  Sources.  {^jS^'iss?.8™' 
Novie  (Med.  News,  April  2,  1887,  p.  369).  The  explosiveness  of  the 
platinic  chloride  compound  lead  to  its  comparison  with  similar  azo- 
compounds  and  it  seems  likely  that  the  poison  is  diazobenzol  butyrate 
or  lactate.  From  unwholesome  oysters  a  body  was  obtained  which 
likewise  agreed  with  the  tests  for  diazobenzol.  The  investigations  are 
continued  by  the  authors. 
Acid  morphine  meconate. — The  experiments  of  D.  B.  Dott  (Phar. 
Jour,  and  Trans.  Feb.  26,  1887,  p.  690)  render  the  existence  of  such 
a  compound  very  doubtful.  Morphine  and  meconic  acid,  in  various 
proportions,  dissolved  in  anhydrous  alcohol  and  evaporated,  leave  an 
amorphous  hygroscopic  residue,  which  is  extremely  soluble  in  water 
and  quickly  combines  with  its  water  of  hydration,  when  the  neutral 
meconate  with  5H20  crystallizes  out,  even  in  the  presence  of  suffi- 
cient acid  to  form  the  bimeconate. 
Toxic  dose  of  atropine. — One-twentieth  of  a  grain  of  atropine  taken 
in  a  few  divided  doses  during  a  day  is  regarded  as  a  perfectly  safe 
dose.  Dr.  C.  Baum  reports  in  Phila.  Med.  Times  the  case  of  a  lady, 
who  for  acute  coryza,  had  been  ordered  two  granules  of  atropine  sul- 
phate grain  each,  which  were  taken  in  two  hours.  Toxic  symp- 
toms appeared  after  the  first  dose,  which  were  greatly  aggravated  af- 
ter the  second  dose,  but  yielded  to  appropiate  treatment. 
Eau  de  Babel,  Ft.  Cod.,  is  a  mixture  of  oil  of  vitriol  1  p.,  with  al- 
cohol 3  parts,  colored  by  the  addition  of  1  per  cent,  of  red  poppy 
leaves.  T.  Gautrand  (These,  Montpellier,  1887)  has  studied  the  eth- 
erification  of  this  mixture  under  various  conditions,  by  determining 
volumetrically  the  total  amount  of  free  acid  as  H2S04,  and  gravimetri- 
cally  the  total  sulphuric  acid,  after  decomposiDg  the  sulphovinic  acid 
by  evaporation  and  ignition  with  pure  potassium  nitrate ;  the  differ- 
ence between  the  two  determinations  indicate  the  H2S04  (J)  present 
as  sulphovinic  acid.  He  found  that  the  limit  of  etherifi cation  in  this 
preparation  corresponded  in  neutralizing  effect  to  7*2  percent.  H2S04, 
or  to  the  formation  of  18*5  per  cent,  of  sulphovinic  acid.  The  main 
factor  affecting  the  rapidity  of  the  change  is  the  temperature,  the  limit 
being  reached  in  summer  in  about  two  months,  in  winter  in  more  than 
four  months,  and  at  83°  C,  the  boiling  point  of  the  mixture,  in  less 
than  half  an  hour.  Direct  sunlight  and  the  coloring  matter  do  not 
influence  the  limit  nor  the  rapidity  of  the  change.  In  the  course  of 
several  years  a  retrograde  change  takes  place,  the  sulphovinic  acid  be- 
ing partly  decomposed. 
