494       Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy,     {A  october,%?m" 
being  6CH20  +  4NH3  =  6H20  +  C6Hl2NH ;  the  harmless  hexa- 
methylenamine  being  formed),  solution  of  ammonium  acetate  was 
administered  with  the  happiest  results.  About  three  volumes  of 
spirit  of  mindererus  should  be  used  to  counteract  one  volume  of 
40  per  cent,  formaldehyde,  and  an  alkaline  mineral  water  should  be 
given  to  neutralize  the  acetic  acid  liberated  in  the  reaction. 
H.  V.  A. 
ANTIDOTES  FOR  CYANOGEN  COMPOUNDS^ 
The  researches  of  Dr.  Meurice,  on  the  use  of  salts  of  the  heavier 
metals  as  antidotes  for  cyanogen  compounds,  are  reported  by  M. 
Heymann  {Bull.  Acad.  Med.  Belg.,  1899,  564).  The  poisons  em- 
ployed were  potassium  cyanide,  acetonitrile,  lactonitrile,  benzo- 
nitrile,  amygdalonitrile  and  the  nitrile  of  malonic  acid.  The  anti- 
dotes were  the  nitrate  of  cobalt  and  nickel  and  the  sulphates  of 
copper  and  iron.  The  subjects  were  rabbits,  pigeons  and  frogs  with 
the  first-named  antidote,  and  rabbits  only  with  the  others.  The 
conclusions  are :  that  the  action  of  all  nitriles,  save  benzonitrile,  is 
combated  by  salts  of  the  heavy  metals  ;  that  cobalt  nitrate  is  the 
best  antidote,  counteracting  four  times  the  lethal  dose  of  amygdalo- 
nitrile ;  that  the  antidotal  action  of  the  other  salts  mentioned  above 
lesse.n  in  the  order  there  given.  The  last  conclusion  is  that  the 
antidotal  effect  is  not  entirely  due  to  chemical  reaction,  since  those 
cyanogen  compounds  giving  the  least  copious  precipitates  with  the 
antidotal  salts  are  most  strongly  counteracted  by  them.    H.  V.  A. 
IODOFORM  TEST. 
On  theoretical  grounds,  M.  G.  Deniges  {Bull.  Sec.  Pharm. 
Bordeaux,  1899,  321)  devised  a  test  for  minute  quantities  of  iodo- 
form, based  on  formation  of  fuchsin  dyes,  when  iodoform  is  treated 
with  aromatic  amines.  He  extracts  the  iodoform  from  its  mixtures 
with  ether  and,  after  evaporating  solvent,  he  adds  three  or  four 
drops  dimethylianilin,  whereupon  the  liquid  becomes  a  deep  brown, 
and,  on  warming  almost  to  boiling  and  adding  a  little  alcohol,  the 
product  assumes  a  violet  or  red  tint,  according  to  amount  of  iodo- 
form present.  The  absorption  spectrum  of  the  liquid  shows  the 
characteristic  methyl-violet  band,  and  with  a  hand  spectroscope 
0*1  milligramme  iodoform  can  be  readily  detected.  If  the  iodoform 
is  mixed  with  a  substance  soluble  in  ether  like  guaiacol,  the  violet 
