^eptember/itoa'}     Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  437 
Suppositoria  Opii  et  Plumbi. 
Each  suppository  contains  : 
Powd.  Opium  ,   1  gr.     0*065  gm- 
Lead  Acetate   3  gr.        o'2  gm. 
Dose  :  One  suppository. 
Suppositoria  Quinines. 
Bach  suppository  contains  : 
Quinine  Sulphate  .  .,   5  gr.         10  gr. 
=  0-3  gm.  o-6gm. 
Dose  :  One  suppository. 
CHEMISTRY  AND  TASTE. 
An  interesting  problem  is  suggested  by  Dr.  W.  Sternberg  [Verh. 
Physiol.  Ges ,  through  Ap.  Zt.y  1899,  184)  in  his  endeavor  to  show 
connection  between  the  relative  taste  of  a  substance  and  its  chemi- 
cal formula.  His  theory  is  that  substances  are  sweet  when  they  con- 
sist of  atomic  groups  bearing  to  taste  the  same  relation  as  a  har- 
monic chord  does  to  hearing.  Such  influencing  groups  he  calls 
"  sapiphores,"  and  when  these  sapiphores  are  mated  discordantly,  a 
bitter  product  results.  As  sapiphores,  the  writer  mentions  the 
hydroxyl,  the  amino  and  the  nitro  groups,  and,  as  types  of  harmony 
of  taste,  he  suggests  the  following  unions : 
The  negative  hydroxyl,  with  a  positive  alkyl  group ;  thus,  glycerin 
(C3H5OH)  is  sweet. 
The  positive  amino  with  the  strongly  negative  carboxyl ;  thus, 
saccharin, 
/CO\ 
C6H4  NH, 
\so2/ 
is  sweet. 
As  discords,  he  cites  the  following : 
Negative  hydroxyl  with  negative  phenyl.  This  is  seen  in  bitter 
glucosides,  which  are  combinations  of  glucose  hydroxyls  with  phenyl 
compounds. 
The  positive  amino  groups  with  other  positive  groups,  as  shown 
in  the  alkaloids. 
The  most  important  point  in  the  writer's  theory  is  that  all  sweet 
substances  have  a  double  nature — consist  of  neutral  combinations  of 
positive  and  negative  groups  or  atoms.  The  writer  claims  his  theory 
applies  to  inorganic  as  well  as  organic  bodies,  and  further  develop- 
ments will  be  awaited  with  interest.  H.  V.  Arny. 
