288 
Advances  in  Pharmacy. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1917. 
and,  what  is  more  to  the  point,  at  a  great  saving  in  price.  He 
found  that  the  solvent  action  of  piperazine  on  calculi  is  practically 
negligible  in  weak  solutions,  although  in  more  concentrated  solu- 
tions there  seemed  to  be  some  solvent  action ;  however,  it  was  very 
limited.  No  evidence  was  obtainable  that  this  drug  can  prevent  or 
remove  urate  deposits.  While  it  was  found  that  the  direct  addition 
of  piperazine  to  urine  renders  the  liquid  alkaline,  this  does  not  occur 
when  the  drug  is  taken  internally,  for  the  reason  that  it  is  destroyed 
in  its  passage  through  the  body  and  is  without  effect  on  the  urine. 
He  also  brings  out  the'  interesting  fact  that  piperazine  does  not  in- 
fluence diuresis,  and  that  its  administration  is  without  value  in  the 
treatment  of  gout.  The  author  also  makes  the  statement  that  there 
is  sufficient  scientific  evidence  to  prove  that  many  of  the  so-called 
urate  solvents,  such  as  the  following,  are  absolutely  without  any 
value  in  that  direction :  Urosin,  lycetol,  sidonal,  quinic  acid,  lysidin, 
urol,  quinoline,  our  old  friend  colchicum,  and  piperazine.  At  this 
point  we  cannot  help  but  remark  that  probably  the  best  diuretic  is, 
after  all,  water  (through  /.  A.  M.  A.,  807,  1917). 
Pituitary  Extract  in  Obstetric  Practice. — The  fact  that  this 
drug  very  often  exhibits  powerful  physiological  action  is  a  sufficient 
reason  for  insisting  that  it  be  administered,  if  administered  at  all, 
with  the  greatest  caution.  In  selected  cases,  it  is  an  exceedingly 
active  oxytocic,  and  is  without  equal  in  that  regard,  yet  the  drug 
should  never  be  used  in  normal  obstetrics.  The  writer  of  this  paper 
makes  this  last  assertion  very  plain  and  gives  good  reasons  for  it. 
It  is  said  that  a  number  of  cases  had  rupture  of  the  uterus,  and  other 
ill  effects  followed  its  incautious  use  (Amer.  Jour.  Obstet.;  Med. 
Review,  p.  444,  191 7). 
CURRENT  LITERATURE 
Pharmacological  Studies  with  Cocaine  and  Novocaine. 
George  B.  Roth  (Bull.  No.  109,  Hygienic  Laboratory)  has  made 
a  comparative  investigation  of  these  substances  in  intact  animals  and 
on  isolated  organs. 
The  results  of  the  laboratory  experiments  with  cocaine  and  novo- 
caine, when  compared  with  the  results  obtained  in  the  clinical  use 
of  these  substances,  show  that  man  is  relatively  more  susceptible  to 
cocaine  and  novocaine  than  are  laboratory  animals.  From  animal 
experiments  it  is  seen  that  the  toxicity  of  these  substances  depends 
partly  upon  the  manner  and  method  of  administration.    The  state- 
