432  The  New-  Remedies  of  1917.      {Am ■/^■1^rm- 
following  preparations  were  withdrawn  from  the  Pharmacopoeia 
until  further  notice :  Linimentum  camphorse,  linimentum  chloro- 
formi,  linimentum  hydrargyri,  linimentum  terebinthinse  aceticum, 
and  liquor  cresol  saponatus.  It  was  decreed  that  in  the  United 
Kingdom  certain  specified  substances  may  be  substituted  for  pre- 
pared lard  and  prepared  suet  for  the  preparation  of  official  prepa- 
rations;  arachis  (peanut)  oil  or  sesame  oil  may  be  substituted  for 
olive  oil  in  official  liniments,  ointments,  plasters,  and  soaps ;  and  the 
use  of  the  modified  castor  oil  of  commerce  commonly  known  as 
"  neutralized  seconds  castor  oil "  is  now  permitted  in  the  manufac- 
ture of  those  official  preparations  for  which  hitherto  castor  oil  was 
directed  to  be  used. 
THE  NEW  REMEDIES  OF  1917.1 
By  Thos.  Stephenson,  Ph.C,  F.R.S.Edin.,  Editor  of  "  The  Prescriber." 
(Continued  from  page  369) 
Emetine. — The  problem  in  connection,  with  the  use  of  emetine 
has  been  its  administration  by  the  mouth  in  the  case  of  dysentery 
carriers.  Hypodermic  injections  of  the  hydrochloride  do  not  reach 
the  encysted  form  which  inhabits  the  intestinal  tract  of  carriers,  and 
it  is  necessary  to  give  per  os  some  form  of  the  alkaloid  which  is 
insoluble  in  the  stomach,  but  soluble  in  the  intestine.  Emetine  Bis- 
muth Iodide  is  theoretically  insoluble  in  the  stomach,  but  it  is  by  no 
means  ideal,  as  it  not  infrequently  gives  rise  to  nausea  and  vomiting. 
When  it  is  tolerated  it  seems  to  act  most  efficiently.  The  problem 
is  how  to  secure  tolerance,  and  various  methods  of  exhibition  have 
been  tried.  Keratin-coated  tablets  seem  to  offer  no  advantage ;  the 
best  form  of  administration,  so  far,  has  proved  to  be  salol-coated 
pills.  The  dose  of  "  E.B.I."  is  3  Gr.,  given  each  night,  and  a  course 
consists  of  twelve  doses. 
Emetine  Phosphotungstate  has  been  suggested,  but  it  is  only  a 
suggestion.  Such  a  salt  would  decompose  in  the  intestine  into 
emetine  and  phosphotungstic  acid,  and  the  action  of  the  latter  may  be 
deleterious. 
The  other  alkaloid  of  ipecacuanha,  Cepha'eline,  has  been  tried  in 
cases  of  amoebic  dysentery.  While  its  action  on  the  entamoeba  is 
equal  to  that  of  emetine,  dose  for  dose,  its  action  on  the  encysted 
organism  appears  to  be  more  promising.     Used  subcutaneously, 
1  Reprinted  from  the  Pharmaceutical  Journal  and  Pharmacist. 
