^oveXrfmT  }  To  Study  Food  and  Drug  Questions.  529 
considerably.  The  itching  sensation  rapidly  spread  over  the  abdo- 
men and  the  lower  extremities  and  red  pimples  appeared  everywhere. 
In  less  than  an  hour  the  poison  had  extended  over  the  whole  surface 
of  the  body,  and  its  entrance  into  the  blood  current  was  indicated 
by  the  corresponding  physiological  reaction  of  the  interior  organs. 
The  palpitation  of  the  heart  became  extremely  accelerated  and  the 
mind  was  soon  overcome  by  an  agonizing  depression.  The  respira- 
tion seemed  to  be  delayed  as  if  under  a  great  pressure,  cold  sweat 
broke  out,  and  the  patient  gave  way  altogether,  remaining  uncon- 
scious for  more  than  an  hour,  except  for  feverish  dreams.  After 
coming  back  to  his  senses,  he  had  several  fits  of  copious  vomiting, 
from  which  it  may  be  surmised  that  the  poison  was  slowly  elimi- 
nated from  the  organism.  The  weakness,  however,  remained  for 
several  days. 
A  case  of  such  extreme  effects,  which  might  have  killed  a  man 
of  less  strength  than  the  writer,  has  never  been  recorded,  as  far  as 
the  literature  on  the  subject  shows.  Undoubtedly  the  intensity  of 
the  intoxication  was  due  to  the  rather  strong  contact  with  the  plant, 
which  caused  a  considerable  amount  of  poison  to  be  introduced  into 
the  blood  circulation. 
Many  other  tropical  plants,  among  them  some  Urticacea?  and 
Loasaceoc,  have  such  deadly  stinging  hairs,  the  poison  of  which  is 
active  enough  to  kill  a  man,  even  in  a  relatively  small  dose.  The  only 
way  of  allaying  its  effects  would  be  to  neutralize  or  precipitate  it 
by  means  of  a  prompt  application  of  chloride  of  lime,  ammonia  or 
sodium  permanganate. 
Otto  Lutz 
Instituto  Nacional  de  Panama, 
Panama,  R.  de  P. 
UNITED  STATES  CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE  TO  STUDY 
FOOD  AND  DRUG  QUESTIONS 
The  Chamber  of  Commerce  of  the  United  States  of  America,  a 
body  composed  of  representatives  from  about  600  local  boards  of 
trade,  chambers  of  commerce,  and  trade  associations,  widely  dis- 
tributed throughout  the  United  States,  has  taken  up  the  study  of  the 
subject  of  uniform  food  and  drug  regulation.  For  this  purpose  a 
special  committee  was  appointed  in  July,  and  its  first  meeting  was 
