532  A  Resume  of  Recurrent  Topics.  {AnocfoberrPiKm- 
Heat  was  then  applied,  and  a  strip  of  moistened  red  litmus  paper, 
held  in  the  mouth  of  the  tube,  was  colored  blue,  indicating  the  pres- 
ence of  nitrogen  in  the  substance.  Another  portion  was  added  to 
some  potassium  hydrate  solution  in  a  test  tube.  A  strip  of 
moistened  red  litmus  paper,  held  at  the  mouth  of  the  tube,  was 
colored  blue  when  heat  was  applied  to  the  tube.  This  behavior 
indicated  that  the  substance  was  a  volatile  alkaloid. 
The  results  of  this  analysis  show  that  there  is  a  volatile  alkaloidal 
principle  in  the  Canada  thistle,  which  is  very  difficult  to  obtain  in  a 
crystalline  condition,  has  a  narcotic  odor,  and  is  soluble  in  ether, 
chloroform  and  alcohol.  There  are  also  present  an  organic  acid, 
resin,  chlorophyll,  mucilage,  dextrin,  pectin,  albuminous  matter  and 
small  amounts  of  glucose,  fat,  wax,  caoutchouc  and  volatile  oil. 
Starch,  tannins  and  glucosides  are  absent. 
A  RESUME  OF  RECURRENT  TOPICS. 
By  Wixuam  B.  Thompsox. 
Beeswax. — In  pharmaceutical  sessions  the  mere  mention  of  this 
substance  seems  to  provoke  something  of  the  facetious.  The 
appellation  of  "  Old  Beeswax"  implies  that  type  of  individual  whose 
ideas  are  Bourbonic,  fixed  and  established,  unalterable.  Not  a  bad 
simile  either,  if  you  reflect  on  it.  Yet,  the  literature  of  pharmacy 
would  seem  to  flatly  contradict  this  comparison,  for  there  is  scarcely 
a  substance  playing  a  part  in  therapeutical  application  which  seems 
to  have  so  sorely  puzzled  the  analyst  as  this  homely  product.  Art 
is  now  so  mischievously  busy  in  supplementing  the  operations  of 
nature,  by  trick,  that  it  is  really  difficult  to  find  a  strictly  pure  arti- 
cle of  beeswax  in  open  commerce.  It  is  yet  a  drug  to  the  pharma- 
ceutical understanding,  however,  and  should  be  guarded,  if  possible, 
because  it  not  only  possesses  properties  peculiar  to  itself,  and  valua- 
ble, but  also  for  the  more  general  reason  that  if  the  future  legisla- 
tion, which  we  so  much  desire,  should  ultimately  recognize  the  office 
and  the  prerogative  of  the  pharmacist,  lines  will  have  to  be  more 
strictly  drawn  between  the  true  and  the  false.  Commercial  practice 
may  be  permitted  to  adopt  anything  in  the  semblance  and  call  it 
"  wax."  Sold  as  wax,  however,  will  not  constitute  it  beeswax..  We 
should  ever  be  careful  in  giving  a  tacit  assent  to  a  fictitious  addition 
or  substitution  ;  in  fact,  we  should  only  use  such  knowledge  to  impel 
