Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
May,  1896. 
} 
Notes  and  News. 
295 
The  Chicago  College  of  Pharmacy  has  become  a  department  of  the  Illinois 
State  University,  and  will  remain  located  in  Chicago. 
Mistura  Ferri  Composita  is  best  made,  according  to  W.  Johnston  (Phar. 
Journal,  March  7,  1896),  by  dissolving  the  sugar  with  the  ferrous  sulphate 
instead  of  mixing  it  with  the  myrrh  and  potassium  carbonate.  To  get  a  really 
good  emulsion,  the  myrrh  (nice,  oily  pieces)  should  be  rubbed  hard  with  the 
alkali  till  it  becomes  not  only  pulverulent  but  pasty,  before  adding  any  rose 
water.  When  that  is  done,  the  emulsion  can  (when  diluted)  be  safely  strained 
through  coarse  muslin,  to  remove  bits  of  bark,  etc. 
The  following  conclusions  concerning  papain  as  a  digestive  agent  have  been 
reached  by  D.  B.  Dott  {Phar.  Jour.,  March  7,  1896): 
(1)  That  the  solvent  action  of  the  menstruum  alone  must  be  taken  into 
account  in  experiments  conducted  on  this  subject. 
(2)  That  dried  papaw  juice,  and  the  papain  prepared  from  it  by  purification 
and  precipitation,  have  very  little  solvent  action  on  albumin,  either  in  alkaline 
or  acid  solution. 
(3)  That  one  brand  of  commercial  papain  has  very  slight  solvent  action  in 
alkaline  solution,  but  considerable  action  in  acid  solution  ;  in  these  respects 
resembling  a  mixture  of  papain  and  pepsin. 
(4)  That  even  the  commercial  papain  has  not  nearly  the  solvent  action  on 
albumin  which  is  possessed  by  pepsin. 
The  Therapeutische  Wochenschrift,  for  April  5th,  remarks  that  lithium  bitar- 
trate  is  much  employed  by  American  physicians  in  the  treatment  of  Rigg's 
disease  (pyorrhoea  alveolaris),  on  the  theory  that  that  form  of  suppurative 
gingivitis  is  of  a  gouty  nature.  The  calcareous  collections  about  the  roots  of 
the  teeth  are  said  to  contain,  besides  the  ordinary  calcium  carbonate  and  phos- 
phate, a  considerable  amount  of  uric  acid,  calcium  urate,  and  sodium  urate. 
Dr.  E.  C.  Kirk  is  cited  as  having  found  the  lithium  bitartrate  a  remarkably 
efficacious  remedy  in  this  affection,  superior  to  any  other  lithium  salt.  Its 
diuretic  action  is  manifest  in  many  cases,  but  with  some  persons  it  acts  as  a 
laxative.  Five  grains  may  be  given  three  times  a  day,  dissolved  in  carbonic 
acid  water. 
The  other  preparation  is  lithium  bromide,  the  efficacy  of  which  in  gout 
is  attributed  by  Mendelsohn  to  its  diuretic  effect  rather  that  to  any  solvent 
action  of  the  salt.  Polakow  uses  lithium  bromide  in  the  following  prescription  : 
M.  Sig.:  Three  or  four  tablespoonfuls  toibe  taken  in  the  course  of  twenty-four 
hours.— N.  Y.  Med.  Jour.,  April  25th. 
Tubercles  on  the  Roots  of  the  Soja  Bean. — Professor  Kirchner  {Colin*1  s  Beitrdge 
zurBiol.  der  Pflanzen,  xvii,  2,  1895)  has  conducted  a  few  remarkably  interesting 
experiments  in  regard  to  the  production  and  character  of  these  swellings. 
When  the  soja  beans  were  cultivated  in  good  soil,  such  as  one  would  ordinarily 
employ  for  experimental  purposes,  no  conspicuous  tubercles  were  formed  ;  but 
Lithium  bromide  .  . 
Sodium  bicarbonate 
Distilled  water  .  .  . 
Parts. 
1  to  2 
4 
200 
