884 
Emetine. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Dec,  1918. 
In  the  preparation  of  hypochlorite  and  of  chloramine,  the  by- 
products are  calcium  carbonate — a  nearly  pure  precipitate — and  a 
liquor  consisting  of  sodium  chloride  and  hydroxide.  No  doubt  use 
could  be  made  of  this  liquor  but  we  have  made  no  attempt  in  this 
direction.  The  above  results  have  been  obtained  under  laboratory 
conditions  making  some  pounds  of  chloramine  per  week.  Owing 
to  lack  of  filtering  apparatus  and  other  labor-saving  devices  we  have 
not  made  experiments  on  a  still  larger  scale ;  but  our  experiments 
have  always  been  made  with  a  view  to  their  application  to  large- 
scale  operations  and  we  have  every  reason  to  believe  that  they  would 
not  fail  in  commercial  practice. 
University  of  Otago, 
Dunedin,  N.  Z. 
EMETINE:  NEW  PREPARATIONS.1 
At  a  meeting  of  the  Chemical  Society  early  in  the  year,  F.  L. 
Pyman  described  a  stereoisomeride  of  emetine  known  as  Iso-emetine. 
Physiological  tests  by  H.  H.  Dale  showed  that  this  substance  has 
about  half  the  toxicity  of  emetine  when  given  to  rabbits  intra- 
venously. Clinical  reports  by  G.  C.  Low,  however,  show  that 
although  it  is  well  tolerated  by  man  it  does  not  appear  to  have  any 
curative  effect  in  amoebic  dysentery. 
An  "  emetine  adsorption  product,"  devised  by  Dale,  but  the  exact 
composition  of  which  is  not  stated,  is  reported  on  by  R.  Donaldson 
et  al.,2  who  give  it  an  extensive  trial  side  by  side  with  emetine  bis- 
muth iodide.  Their  results  show  that  these  two  substances  are  of 
equal  potency  as  regards  rendering  the  stools  negative,  and  that  both 
are  superior  to  emetine  administered  subcutaneously.  Emetine  bis- 
muth iodide  is  handicapped  by  its  disturbing  effect  on  the  stomach, 
and  is  inferior  to  the  emetine  adsorption  product,  which  is  well 
tolerated.  The  cases  examined  appear  to  show  that  not  more  than 
50  to  60  per  cent,  may  be  regarded  as  possible  cures  after  one  course 
of  twelve  doses,  therefore  the  minimum  course  of  twelve  doses 
should  be  increased,  and  the  emetine  adsorption  product  should  be 
used  instead  of  any  other  preparation.  Of  nine  cases  treated  only 
one  had  vomiting,  in  two  cases  there  was  slight  enfeeblement  of  the 
heart's  action,  and  in  four  there  was  looseness  of  the  bowels. 
1  Reprinted  from  The  Prescriber,  October,  1918. 
2  Practitioner,  1918,  101,  I;  July. 
