Am  Jour.  Pharm. 
•      Oct.,  IS85. 
American  PharmaGeutical  Association. 
515 
from  iron  and  chlorides,  and  with  the  exception  of  one,  also  free  from 
traces  of  sulphates,  while  eight  contained  traces  of  calcium,  and  two  lelt  a 
wliite  residue,  probably  antimonious  oxide,  insoluble  in  water.  The  com- 
mercial salt  is  therefore  usually  nearly  pure. 
Commercial  Calomel,  by  Prof.  E.  L.  Patch,  Boston.  These  salt  from  three 
American  and  one  English  manufacturer  was  examined,  the  four  samples 
containing  mercuric  chloride  in  small  amount,  the  English  sample  rather 
more  than  two  of  the  American  samples. 
Commercial  Glycerin.  Three  papers  were  presented  by  Profs.  E.  L. 
Patch,  E,  Goebel  and  R.  B.  Warder.  The  result  of  these  investigators  was 
that  the  samples,  forty-six  in  all,  conform  very  nearly  to  the  requirements 
of  the  Pharmacopoeia. 
Commercial  Chloroform,  by  Prof.  P.  W.  Bedford,  New  York.  Of  five 
samples  examined  one  reached  the  pharmacopoeial  specific  gravity,  1-486, 
while  others  varied  between  1  -460  and  1  480.  In  other  respects  the  samples 
j»ame  up,  or  very  nearly  so,  to  the  pharmacopoeial  requirements. 
Arctic  Flora,  by  G.  W.  Kennedy,  Pottsville,  Pa.  A  list  of  thirty-two 
plants,  most  of  them  determined,  which  were  gathered  by  Sergeant  Eli- 
son,  one  of  the  victims  of  the  Greely  Arctic  Expedition. 
Exportation  of  American  Drugs,  by  L.  A.  Haber,  Cleveland.  For  the 
year  ending  June  30,  1885,  the  exportation  of  acids  was  valued  at  $133,582; 
pot  and  pearl  ash,  |37,782;  dyes  and  dyestufFs,  $656,148 ;  ginseng,  377,345 
lbs.,  $751,168  ;  patent  or  proprietary  medicines,  $1,317,483 ;  roots,  barks, 
seeds  and  flowers,  $116,695  ;  all  other  medicinal  articles,  $1,793,328.  A  num- 
l)er  of  crude  drugs,  volatile  oils  and  other  articles  which  were  exported  are 
mentioned  in  the  paper  ;  but  their  quantities  can  only  be  estimated. 
Dandelion  and  Chicory,  by  Jos.  Fell,  Cleveland.  The  author  suggests 
that  the  Pharmacopoeia  should  drop  dandelion  from  the  officinal  list  and 
admit  chicory  in  place  thereof,  because  he  thinks  that  both  are  alike  in 
their  medicinal  action  ;  that,  in  addition  to  costing  less,  chicory  is  usually 
found  in  the  niarket  of  qood  quality,  and  because.  Judging  by  the  taste,  it 
equals  the  best  quality  of  dandelion,  and  is  stronger  than  nine-tenths  of 
that  root  as  found  in  this  market. 
Importation  of  Menthol,  by  Prof.  P.  W.  Bedford.  This  was  about  4,000 
lbs.  in  1884,  and  is  estimated  to  reach  about  5,000  lbs.  in  the  present  year, 
and  6,000  lbs.  in  1886. 
The  following  three  papers  are  published  in  full  in  this  number  ;  On  the 
medical  properties  of  two  Rhamnus  barks,  by  G.  W.  Kennedy,  Pottsville ; 
on  the  oils  of  peppermint  and  spearmint,  by  Prof.  H.  Trimble,  Philadel- 
phia, and  on  commercial  Spanish  saffron,  by  Prof.  Maisch. 
PiCROToxiN  IN  THE  NiGHT-swEATS  OF  PHTHISIS. — In  several  cases  in 
which  atropine,  quinine,  and  ergot  had  proved  unsuccessful.  Dr.  West- 
brook  obtained  excellent  results  with  picrotoxin.  It  was  given  by  hypo> 
dermic  injection  in  doses  of  one  half  to  one  milligram  (y^^  to  q\  grains), 
gradually  increased  to  three  milligrams.  It  was  also  efficacious  when 
given  by  the  mouth.— Louis.  Med.  News.,  June  13,  1885. 
