298 
Current  Literature. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
<■      April,  1918. 
treatment  a  7.5  to  8  per  cent,  solution  is  strong  enough  for  all  pur- 
poses, and  is  most  conveniently  prepared  as  follows :  A  portion  of 
the  oil — for  example,  a  quarter — is  heated  to  75 0  or  8o°  C.  and  the 
weighed  amount  of  solid  dichloramine-T  is  then  added.  The  latter 
substance  will  promptly  melt  and  dissolve  in  the  warm  oil,  which 
is  then  at  once  diluted  with  the  remainder  of  the  oil  and  the  whole 
well  mixed.  If  necessary,  the  solution  can  be  filtered,  but  with 
pure  materials  this  is  not  required.  The  clear  solution  should  be 
at  once  stored  in  small  amber,  corked  bottles,  and  not  exposed  to 
unnecessary  heat. 
CURRENT  LITERATURE. 
SCIENTIFIC  AND  TECHNICAL  ABSTRACTS. 
Determination  of  Creatinin  in  the  Blood. — TchertkofT  de- 
scribes a  technic  with  which  it  is  possible  to  detect  grave  insuffi- 
ciency of  the  kidney  by  the  creatinin  content  of  the  blood.  With 
only  15  Cc.  of  blood  serum  it  is  possible  to  ascertain  the  creatinin 
content  and  also  the  indican  and  urea  content,  and  thus  obtain  deep 
insight  into  the  kidney  functioning.  He  says  that  the  normal 
creatinin  content  does  not  surpass  18  Mg.  to  the  liter  of  serum. 
Above  25  Mg.,  retention  is  certain.  First  there  is  retention  of  urea, 
then  of  creatinin,  and  later  of  indican.  As  the  kidney  functioning 
improves  they  disappear  in  reverse  order.  The  serum  is  freed  from 
albumins  with  an  equal  quantity  of  a  20  per  cent,  solution  of  tri- 
chloracetic acid.  After  agitation  it  is  filtered,  and  to  2.5  Cc.  of  the 
filtrate  is  added  an  equal  amount  of  a  saturated  solution  of  picric 
acid  and  1  Cc.  of  a  20  per  cent,  solution  of  sodium  hydroxid.  By 
the  end  of  fifteen  minutes  the  fluid  changes  in  tint  to  a  yellow  or 
orange,  proportional  to  the  creatinin  content.  If  the  tint  in  ten 
minutes  is  still  light  yellow,  the  creatinin  content  is  probably  within 
normal  range.  Above  35  Mg.  to  the  liter,  the  tint  shows  orange  or 
even  red.  With  a  colorimeter  the  exact  figure  can  be  determined. 
{The  Journal  of  the  American  Medical  Association.) 
Volumetric  Estimation  of  Mercuric  Oxycyanide. — Mer- 
curic oxycyanide,  used  as  a  disinfectant,  particularly  for  the  hands, 
may  be  analyzed  as  follows :  A  weighed  quantity  of  0.3  to  0.4  Grm. 
