Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
March,  1014.  _  J 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
137 
of  synthetic  aromatic  amines  has  been  greatly  stimulated  by  the  dis- 
covery of  the  chemical  structure  of  epinephrine  and  the  demonstra- 
tion that  it  belongs  in  this  group  of  organic  compounds.  The  syste- 
matic testing  of  numerous  related  and  suitably  constituted  amines 
has  shown  that  in  general  they  exhibit  pressor  effects  on  the  circu- 
lation and  other  physiologic  phenomena  characteristic  of  the  effective 
agent  of  the  adrenals,  their  activity  increasing  according  as  they 
approach  the  chemical  structure  of  epinephrine.  One  of  the  most 
interesting  of  all  these  newly  investigated  products  is  hydroxyphenyl- 
ethylamin,  which  can  readily  be  prepared  from  the  protein  cleavage 
derivative  ty rosin  by  splitting  off  carbon  dioxide  from  the  molecule 
of  the  latter.  This  reaction  can  be  brought  about  by  putrefactive 
bacteria ;  and  in  truth  hydroxyphenylethylamin  has  been  detected 
among  the  products  of  putrefaction  of  proteins  and  identified  by 
Barger  among  the  pressor  principles  yielded  by  putrid  meat. — /.  Am. 
M.  Assoc.,  1914,  v.  62,  p.  46. 
Lactic  Acid  Ferments. — Puckner,  W.  A.  The  frequently 
made  assertions  that  the  lactic  acid  preparations  on  the  market  are 
worthless,  led  to  an  examination  of  the  available  commercial  prod- 
ucts. This  examination  showed  that  while  all  products  containing 
living  bacteria  are  bound  to  deteriorate,  the  preparations  examined 
were  in  viable  condition,  though,  as  was  to  be  expected,  liquid  cult- 
ures were  more  active  than  were  the  tablet  preparations.  It  was  also 
found  that  manufacturers  of  these  products  are  making  every  effort 
to  insure  the  dispensing  of  reliable  preparations  when  they  are 
ordered  by  physicians. — /.  Am.  M.  Assoc.,  191 3,  v.  61,  p.  2084. 
Liquid  Paraffin. — Peck,  J.  Wicliffe,  calls  attention  to  the  wide- 
spread use  of  liquid  paraffin  for  chronic  constipation,  in  different 
sections  of  Great  Britain,  and  to  the  possibility  of  developing  the  sale 
of  this  article  as  a  specialty.  He  also  points  out  that  there  is  a  great 
difference  in  the  viscosity  of  the  many  samples  obtained  and  that  it  is 
preferable  to  use  one  having  a  medium  specific  gravity.  The  more 
fluid  ones  are  not  so  useful  in  the  treatment  of  intestinal  stasis  and 
the  heavier  preparations  are  apt  to  be  objectionable  because  they 
do  not  easily  leave  the  mouth. — Pharm.  J.,  19 14,  v.  92,  pp.  28-29. 
Liquid  Paraffin. — Chrysopathes,  J.  G.  During  the  Balkan  war 
920  cases  of  wounds  were  dressed  with  liquid  paraffin.  In  nearly 
every  case  the  wound  healed  over  in  a  remarkably  short  time ;  even 
gaping  wounds  with  exposed  bones  began  to  heal  at  once.  The  oil, 
in  fact,  is  recommended  as  a  dressing  for  sores  of  all  kinds,  and 
