352  Abstracts  Jrom  the  French  Journals.  {Am*Ju(iyr'i?£arrn' 
a  handy  formula  for  the  pharmacist  to  use  for  customers  who  are  not 
acting  under  advice,  but  as  the  Bulletin  editor  points  out,  "  It  is  not 
permissible  to  modify  the  officinal  formula  of  medicaments  without 
the  knowledge  of  the  physician  ;  and  this  doctrine  is  based  not  only  in 
the  interest  of  the  patient,  but  the  security  of  the  pharmacist,  who 
might  be  compromised  on  account  of  modifications  which  to  him  ap- 
peared legitimate  enough."  M.  Eeeb's  idea  about  the  introduction  of 
boracic  acid  is  interesting  however  :  "  It  is  very  evident  that  the  bora- 
cic  acid  can  cause  no  therapeutic  difficulty  because,  administered  in  a 
purge  it  has  no  time  to  become  absorbed.  Besides,  is  not  the  borated 
potassic  tartrate  a  purgative  in  good  usage  ?"  Well,  he  might  on  the 
same  grounds  dispense  rhubarb  for  castor  oil. 
Anemone  Pulsatilla.  In  some  observations  upon  this  plant 
(Gaz.  Hebdom.,  May  27,  June  3),  P.  Yigier  adds  little  to  our  know- 
ledge of  it,  but  does  something  negatively  for  science  by  making  no 
claim  for  its  medicinal  virtues  beyond  its  sedative  effect  and  the  fact 
that,  taken  internally,  it  reduced  the  catarrhal  fever  of  a  cold  in  the 
head  and  nearly  stopped  the  nasal  secretion.  He  states  that  the  dis- 
tillations when  bottled  and  put  aside  lose  their  bad  odor  and  acridity 
and  deposit  anemonin.  Alkalies  dissolve  it  readily,  making  anemo- 
nates.  He  finds  the  atomic  formula  to  be  C15H1206  [agreeing  with 
Fehling],  the  anemonic  acid  having  one  more  equivalent  of  oxygen. 
"  A  curious  peculiarity  is  that  hydrochloric  acid  dissolves  the  anemo- 
nin without  altering  it,  whilst  nitric  and  sulphuric  acids  destroy  it 
rapidly."  He  has  often  taken  10  centigm.  of  it  without  toxic  effect ;  2  to  4 
centigm.  a  day  were  enough  to  get  the  anti-catarrhal  effect  and  that  on 
the  nervous  system.  The  leaves  lose  their  properties  by  dessication  • 
the  roots  do  not,  and  these  possess  the  medicinal  properties  of  the 
plant  in  a  much  higher  degree.  They  are  gathered  in  June.  Equal 
parts  by  weight  of  the  root  and  alcohol  at  90  are  macerated  for  fifteen 
days.  The  mixture  keeps  well.  The  dose  is  2  to  4  gm.  a  day — less 
than  that  of  the  tincture  made  from  the  leaves.  He  proposes  a  syrup 
of  syr.  aurant.  flor.  95  gm.  and  tincture  (as  above)  5  gm. ;  two  to  four 
gm.  daily,  in  water. 
Poisoning  by  Aniline  is  common  enough,  but  cases  of  death 
from  it,  giving  the  dose  and  the  autopsy,  are  rarely  met  with.  Fr. 
Muller  (Deut.  Med.  Woch. ;  Arch.  Gen.  de  Med.,  June,  1887)  reports 
such  a  case,  and  compares  the  toxic  effects  of  the  aniline  with  those  of 
its  derivative  antifebrine.    Both  substances  caused  a  cyanosis,  espe- 
