64 
ON  SOLUTIO  ATROPI^  GLYCERINEA. 
plied  as  a  drying  oil.  It  is  only  lately  that  attention  has  been 
called  to  its  medicinal  properties.  It  is  purely  purging,  and, 
not  like  the  croton,  jatropha,  cap^r-spurge,  sandbox,  and  other 
euphorbiaceous  oils,  productive  of  Vomiting  at  the  same  time.  It 
is  affirmed  to  be  as  mild  as  castor  oil,  and  being  more  fluid,  is 
better  to  take.     It  is  without  either  taste  or  smell. 
The  nuts  have,  within  the  past  twelve  months,  been  sold  in 
the  London  market  under  the  name  of  kukui  nuts,  and  there  is 
no  doubt  that,  upon  inquiry,  some  of  the  oil  could  be  procured, 
and  it  evidently  well  merits  the  attention  of  the  profession.  A 
purgative  oil  which  shall  possess  all  the  advantages,  and  none 
of  the  disadvantages  of  castor  oil,  is  a  desideratum  worthy  of 
being  secured. —  London  Medical  Meview,  and  Pharm.  Jour. 
SOLUTIO  ATROPm  GLYCERINEA  ;  A  .PREPAUATION  FOR  THE 
DILATATION  OF  THE  PUPIL  IN  CATARACT,  IRITIS,  &c. 
By  Charles  R.  C.  Tichborne. 
Since  atropia  was  first  brought  into  notoriety  for  the  above 
application,  by  Reisinger,  it  has  completely  superseded  bella- 
donna where  introduction  into  the  eye  is  necessary,  but  the 
extract  is  still  resorted  to  for  painting  the  eyebrow  and  cheek 
in  such  operations  as  absorption  of  a  cataract  or  anything 
similar,  where  it  is  indispensable  in  order  to  prevent  adhesion  of 
the  iris  to  render  the  dilatation  permanent ;  no  preparation  of 
the  alkaloid  yet  introduced  being  applicable  to  the  exigencies  of 
such  cases.  A  few  of  the  objections  to  the  use  of  the  extract 
may  be  enumerated  as  follows  : — Liability  to  produce  cutaneous 
irritation  ;  secondly,  its  requiring  great  attention  in  keeping  the 
surface  moist  with  some  lotion  to  prevent  its  drying  ;  and  thirdly, 
want  of  cleanliness,  as  the  extraneous  matters  of  the  inspissated 
juice  are  certainly  very  much  out  of  place  when  manipulating 
with  so  delicate  an  organ  as  the  eye ;  in  some  cases  complete 
failure  results  either  from  the  use  of  a  bad  preparation  or  non- 
absorption  from  harshness  of  the  epidermis. 
Some  time  ago  glycerine  was  found  to  possess  great  solvent 
properties,  particularly  as  regards  the  alkalaloids  and  some  of 
the  non-nitrogenous  organic  principles.  The  author  has  deter- 
mined its  action  and  solvent  power  in  connection  with  atropia 
