54 
Current  Literature. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
January,  1920. 
ii]g  nettles  between  dry  filter  papers  impregnated  with  barium  car- 
bonate the  contents  of  the  hairs  are  absorbed  without  contamination 
from  juices  from  any  other  part  of  the  plant.  On  appropriate  treat- 
ment the  product  yielded  barium  and  lead  salts,  which  were  crystal- 
line on  glass  slides,  and  the  two  formates  were  identified  under  the 
microscope.  Another  question  is  whether  or  not  formic  acid  is  the 
main  cause  of  the  intense  irritation  produced  by  nettle  stings;  the 
active  irritant  is  regarded  by  one  investigator  as  being  probably  due 
to  an  enzyme  and  not  to  formic  acid.  (L.  Dobbin,  Proc.  Roy.  Soc. 
Edin.y  II,  No.  1 1 ;  through  Nature,  September  i8,  1919,  p.  64;  through 
The  Pharm.  Jour,  and  Pharmacist,  Oct.  11,  191 9.) 
TuBKRCUivOSis  Infection. — Calmette  {Ann.  Inst.  Pasteur,  1919. 
pp.  60-68)  has  established  that  many  kinds  of  bacteria  circulating  in 
the  blood  are  eliminated  by  the  intestine ;  the  bacillus  of  tuberculosis 
in  particular  is  taken  up  by  the  liver  and  emptied  into  the  intestine 
with  the  bile.  Recent  experiments  have  shown  that  tuberculosis  is 
spread  among  cattle  by  the  excreta,  and  this  explains  infection  oc- 
curring in  stables,  and  also  the  presence  of  tuberculosis  bacilli  in 
milk,  even  that  from  healthy  cows.  This  fact  also  draws  attention 
to  the  spread  of  tuberculosis  through  vegetables,  due  to  contamina- 
tion with  tuberculous  manure,  and  its  propagation  on  farms  and  in 
rural  districts,    {^rom  The  Chemist  and  Druggist,  October  18,  191 9.) 
Dktkrmination  of  GivYCyrrhizin. — Dissolve  3  Gm.  of  ext. 
glycyrrhizae  dried  at  100°  in  30  Cc.  of  water  containing  5  drops 
of  solution  of  ammonia,  and  filter.  To  20  Cc.  of  filtrate  add  2.5 
Cc.  of  sulphuric  acid  and  allow  to  stand  for  twenty-four  hours. 
Decant  the  limpid  liquid  upon  a  filter,  wash  the  residue  with  a  total 
of  30  Cc.  of  water,  filter  and  reject  the  washings.  Dissolve  the 
residue  with  i  to  2  Cc.  of  solution  of  ammonia,  pass  the  solution 
through  the  filter,  and  wash  with  10  Cc.  of  water  containing  5  drops 
of  solution  of  ammonia  until  the  washings  are  colorless.  Evaporate 
the  solution  on  a  water  bath  and  dry  at  100°.  Add  0.04  Gm.  per  40 
Cc.  of  washings  and  calculate  the  percentage.  (Astruc  and  Picliard, 
/.  pharm.  chim.,  18:  289-90;  through  The  Chemist  and  Druggist, 
Oct.  18,  1919.) 
Rapid  Diagnosis  of  Diphtheria  Bacii^u. — Debre  and  Letulle 
expatiate  on  the  differential  importance  of  Babes'  polar  granules, 
) 
