1 86  Advances  in  Pharmacy.  {AmMar°c¥'  i^is™1" 
3.  Rabbits  breathing  a  mercury-laden  atmosphere  may  absorb 
considerable  quantities  of  mercury  through  the  lungs,  but,  as  a  result 
of  our  experiments,  we  believe  the  respiratory  absorption  to  be  far 
less  important  than  the  cutaneous  absorption. 
4.  Metallic  mercury  in  the  form  of  the  official  mercurial  oint- 
ment is  more  volatile  and  is  more  apt  to  be  absorbed  by  the  lungs 
than  calomel  ointments  of  equal  strength. 
5.  Calomel  ointments  are  fully  as  well  absorbed  through  the  skin 
as  the  ordinary  blue  ointment ;  indeed,  we  have  the  impression  that 
calomel  is  absorbed  with  greater  facility. 
6.  There  appears  to  be  no  reason  why  calomel  inunctions  should 
not  supplant  the  unclean  blue-ointment  rubbings  which  have  been 
so  long  in  use. 
One  cannot  help  but  remark  the  unfairness  of  the  formulas 
allowed  for  medicating  alcohol  for  sale  direct  to  the  public  by  the 
pharmacist.  That  there  is  a  legitimate  use  for  alcohol  by  the  laity 
cannot  be  gainsaid.  Many  people  are  in  the  habit  of  using  alcohol 
for  rubbing  and  bathing  purposes.  Nothing  is  more  grateful  to  the 
tired  athlete  than  a  brisk  rub  with  alcohol.  Many  masseurs  find  it 
indispensable  in  their  work. 
Who  can  say  with  positiveness  that  alcohol  containing  one  per 
cent,  of  phenol,  or  1  part  of  formaldehyde  in  250  parts  of  alcohol, 
is  absolutely  harmless  ?  Who  among  us,  knowing  the  possibilities 
of  harm,  would  be  willing  to  be  rubbed  or  bathed  with  alcohol  con- 
taining bichloride  of  mercury  or  lysol  ? 
The  regulations  state  that  the  containers  of  alcohol  so  medi- 
cated (?)  should  bear  a  " poison"  label.  So  they  should.  That  is 
just  what  such  an  alcohol  would  be.  POISONOUS !  No  question 
about  it. 
It  is  unfair  to  the  people  to  compel  them  to  go  to  their  physician 
and  pay  a  fee  for  a  prescription  to  get  a  harmless  medicated  alcohol. 
The  added  tax  on  alcohol  makes  its  purchase  onerous  enough. 
It  is  quite  possible  to  make  an  undrinkable  alcohol  and  yet  at  the 
same  time  usable  externally  as  a  liniment  or  for  bathing  purposes 
by  permitting  the  addition  to  it  of  a  small  quantity  of  alum  and 
camphor.  Alcohol  so  treated  cannot  be  recovered  by  distillation 
and  the  veriest  toper  would  not  be  tempted  to  drink  it.  In  Treasury 
Decision  1969,  amending  T.  D.  1757,  prescribing  formulas  for  de- 
naturing alcohol  withdrawn  for  scientific  purposes  under  section 
3297,  Revised  Statutes  for  use  in  hospitals  and  sanitariums,  there 
