354 
Pharmaceutical  Notes. 
A.m.  Jour.  Pharm. 
July,  1894. 
line,  and  the  wood  wedges,  when  present,  are  of  a  light  yellow  color, 
radially  arranged  ;  in  the  poke  the  wood  tissue  is  whitish,  and  shows 
a  decidedly  concentric  arrangement. 
Camphor. — I  have  pleasure  in  calling  to  your  attention  an  excel- 
lent article  of  camphor,  made  at  the  Sumitomo  Refinery,  Kobe, 
Japan,  and  imported  by  Smith,  Kline  &  French  Company. 
It  comes  in  boxes  very  neatly  made  of  wood,  pasteboard  lined, 
containing  one  pound  net  by  actual  weight. 
The  style  of  package  prevents  evaporation,  and  being  divided 
into  ounce  cakes  there  is  no  loss  in  retailing. 
It  is  less  translucent  and  crystalline  than  ordinary  refined  camphor, 
and  is  probably  made  by  submitting  powdered  camphor  to  powerful 
pressure. 
One  part  is  perfectly  soluble  in  0  7  parts  of  alcohol,  and  sublimes 
without  leaving  any  residue. 
It  seems  probable  that  in  many  industries  Japan  is  going  to  be  an 
active  competitor,  not  only  with  European  nations,  but  also  with  our 
own. 
Fluid  Extract  Triticum  Repens. — The  question  is  asked  in  Query 
8,  "  What  is  the  cause  of  the  active  effervescence  which  takes  place 
when  Fluid  Extract  Triticum  Repens  is  added  to  a  carbonate  ?" 
If  active  effervescence  occurs,  I  should  think  it  due  to  fermenta- 
tion having  taken  place. 
The  fluid  extract  is  made  by  first  percolating  with  boiling  water, 
afterwards  evaporating  and  adding  25  per  cent,  of  alcohol. 
As  the  medicinal  constituents  consist  of  three  sugars,  two  of  them 
directly  fermentable,  if  too  much  time  be  taken  in  percolating  and 
evaporating,  there  is  apt  to  be  some  fermentation  before  the  alcohol 
is  added. 
Bicycling. — I  was  much  interested  in  an  article  on  "  The 
Bicycle  in  its  Relation  to  the  Physician,"  by  Dr.  S.  Egbert,  and 
think  it  worthy  of  a  wide  circulation. 
I  was  pleased  to  find  that  his  professional  investigation  of  the 
subject  coincided  with  my  personal  experience. 
He  claims  that  "  if  the  wheel  is  properly  adjusted  to  the  rider,  as 
far  as  weight,  saddle,  handle-bar  and  pedals  are  concerned,  and 
above  all  an  erect  posture  maintained,  that  cycling  is  one  of  the  best 
forms  of  exercise  attainable,  developing  the  chest,  increasing  the 
lung  capacity,  and  bringing  into  play  the  most  important  muscles  of 
the  body. 
