Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
December,  19 17.  J 
Current  Literature. 
611 
Deniges,  Annales  Chim.  analyt.,  191 7,  22,  103,  through  77i<?  Phar- 
maceutical Journal  and  Pharmacist.) 
MEDICAL,  PHARMACEUTICAL  AND  DISPENSING  NOTES. 
The  Kind  of  Calcium  Carbonate  to  be  used  in  Medicine. — 
It  is  pointed  out  that  great  importance  attaches  to  the  physical  con- 
dition of  precipitated  chalk  used  for  medicine.  When  the  precipita- 
tion is  performed  in  the  cold,  at  about  o°  C,  a  light,  hydrated  car- 
bonate having  a  density  of  1.7  is  obtained.  This  will  show  only  a 
few  crystalline  grains  under  a  high  magnification.  If  precipitation 
is  conducted  at  about  300  C,  the  product  will  consist  of  minute 
rhombohedra,  and  have  a  density  of  2.7.  If  boiling  solutions  are 
employed,  the  precipitate  will  be  formed  of  prismatic  rhombehedra 
and  have  a  density  of  2.9.  Since  the  denser  form  is  easy  to  manipu- 
late and  wash,  most  of  the  precipitated  calcium  carbonate  of  com- 
merce is  of  this  variety.  Although  this  may  answer  all  official  tests 
it  is  by  no  means  suitable  for  medicinal  use,  since  it  is  much  lesls 
readily  attacked  by  acids,  and  a  considerable  portion  will  pass 
through  the  intestines  unacted  on  by  the  acid  secretions.  When  cal- 
cium carbonate  is  prescribed  the  form  precipitated  in  the  cold  should 
be  specified.  This  form  alone  should  receive  official  recognition  in 
future  pharmacopoeias.  (A.  Berthelot,  /.  Pharm.  Chim.,  191 7,  16, 
57,  through  The  Pharmaceutical  Journal  and  Pharmacist.) 
Physiologic  and  Antiseptic  Action  of  Flavine. — Fleming 
found  that  flavine  has  a  very  destructive  action  on  leukocytes,  and 
if  the  action  on  leukocytes  and  bacteria  be  each  tested  for  twenty- 
four  hours  its  leukocidal  action  is  far  in  excess  of- its  bactericidal 
action.  In  serum  under  certain  conditions  staphylococci  will  grow 
in  1  in  32000  flavine,  B.  coli  in  1  in  1000,  and  B.  proteus  in  1  in 
2000.  Flavine  1  in  8000  appears  to  aid  growth  of  B.  proteus.  Fla- 
vine 1  in  500  is  usually  unable  to  sterilize  in  twenty-four  hours  an 
equal  volume  of  pus  from  a  wound.  Flavine  injected  intravenously 
in  large  doses  immediately  disappears  from  the  blood  (which  ac- 
quires no  bactericidal  power),  and  is  taken  up  by  the  tissues,  which 
become  yellow  but  acquire  no  inhibitory  power  on  the  growth  of 
bacteria.  Flavine  1  in  100  injected  into  the  pleural  or  peritoneal 
cavities  loses  its  antiseptic  power  within  twenty-four  hours.  If  the 
antiseptic  is  allowed  to  act  on  staphylococci  and  leukocytes  alike  for 
