42 
Editorial. 
{  Am.  Jour.  Phaim, 
\       Jan.,  1878. 
bark  (of  Strychnos  nux  vomica)  to  contain  strychnia,  though  only  in  small  quanti- 
ties. The  following  provisional  process  has  been  adopted  for  proving  its  presence 
in  brucia  :  About  '5  grm,  of  this  is  placed  in  a  test-tube,  with  3  or  4  cc.  of  5  per. 
cent,  nitric  acid,  and  warmed  gradually  by  immersion  in  hot  water;  when  yellow 
crystals  of  cacothelin  make  their  appearance,  potassa  solution  is  added  in  excess, 
and  the  solution  cooled  by  placing  in  cold  water  ;  it  is  then  extracted  by  agitation 
with  chloroform,  this  solution  evaporated  and  the  residue  tested  in  the  usual  way. 
When  the  amount  of  strychnia  is  small,  it  is  necessary  to  char  the  residue  with  sul- 
phuric acid  before  testing  it,  as  the  chloroform  usually  extracts  a  small  quantity  of 
a  resinous  substance  which  masked  the  reaction  of  the  strychnia.  The  author  also 
observed  that  brucia  seems  to  undergo  alteration  by  heating  with  pure,  slightly  acid 
or  alkaline  water,  and  intends  to  investigate  the  products  produced. 
Russian  turpentine  oil  was  found,  by  Dr.  W.  A.  Tilden,  to  have  the  spec  grav. 
8682  at  i5°C,  to  be  dextrogyre  and  to  consist  of  a  liquid  having  the  same  compo- 
sition and  properties  as  common  turpentine  oil,  but  of  a  stronger  action  on  polarized 
light ;  of  a  liquid  having  the  same  composition,  but  boiling  at  about  i7i-5°C,  and 
of  some  high  boiling  hydrocarbons,  polymeric  with  turpentine  oil. 
Oleum  foliorum  pini  sylvestris,  examined  by  the  same  author,  was  of  '8756  spec, 
grav.  at  i2°C,  to  be  detrogyre  and  to  commence  to  boil  below  ioo°C.  It  consists 
of  a  liquid  boiling  at  156  to  1590  which  is  almost  certainly  identical  with  common 
turpentine  oil  ;  and  of  a  liquid  boiling  between  171  and  i76°C,  which  has  nearly 
the  same  odor  as  the  chief  terpene  of  the  Russian  turpentine,  but  is  lasvorotatory. 
The  use  of  Russian  turpentine  oil  was  recommended  by  Mr.  A.  W.  Postans  in 
liniments  and  other  preparations  in  place  of  the  common  turpentine  oil,  on  account 
of  its  agreeable,  attractive  and  aromatic  odor  and  its  by  no  means  unpleasant  taste. 
EDITORIAL  DEPARTMENT. 
Physicians  as  Dispensers,  is  the  title  of  several  communications  which  have 
recently  appeared  in  the  "  Philadelphia  Medical  and  Surgical  Reporter,"  and  were 
initiated  by  a  communication  from  J.  W.  P.  Bates,  M.D  ,  to  the  Medical  and  Sur- 
gical Society  of  Baltimore,  published  by  our  cotemporary,  November  10.  The  first 
portion  of  this  paper  is  a  reproduction  of  the  same  charges  against  "  druggists  "  as 
were  preferred  in  the  same  society  five  years  ago  (see  "Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1873, 
p.  88),  with  this  addition,  that,  "if  the  medicine  (prescribed  by  a  physician)  proves 
to  be  a  very  efficient  combination  and  have  some  local  reputation,  the  druggist  will 
keep  it  always  prepared  and  labeled  with  his  own  name."  Further  on,  the  "drug- 
gist "  is  accused  of  charging  exorbitantly  for  the  medicines,  and  the  danger  result- 
ing for  the  general  practitioner  from  the  inroads  of  homoeopathy  are  alluded  to,  the 
success  of  which  is  attributed  to  the  pleasantness  of  its  medicines  ( ?  Editor)  and 
that  there  is  no  "drug  bill"  to  pay,  since  the  homoeopath  furnishes  the  medicines 
himself.  For  all  this  Dr.  Bates  can  see  but  one  remedy,  namely,  to  furnish,  as  far 
as  possible  his  own  medicines,  and,  to  carry  out  this  idea,  suggests  that  the  whole- 
sale druggist  manufacture  all  the  available  articles  of  the  materia  medica  in  mini- 
