354 
Current  LiteraUire. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
May,  1920. 
well  take  the  part  played  by  the  soluble  starch  of  Kahlbaum  in  this 
experiment.    {Jour.  Amer.  Med.  Assoc.,  February  21,  1920.) 
Prejparation  01^  Ste:riuze;d  Camphorate;d  OiIv  for  Injection. 
— The  I  :  10  solution  of  camphor  in  olive  oil,  which  is  widely  pre- 
scribed in  French  practice  for  administration  by  hypodermic  in- 
jection, may  be  easily  and-  effectively  prepared  as  follows:  Pure 
olive  oil  preserved  from  contact  with  the  air  by  means  of  a  layer  of 
alcohol  (95  per  cent.)  is  heated  in  a  long-neck  flask  in  a  boihng  water 
bath  until  all  the  alcohol  is  evaporated.  The  oil  will  be  perfectly 
sterilized  by  this  procedure.  The  flask  is  then  removed  from  the 
source  of  heat,  and  when  the  temperature  of  the  oil  has  fallen  to 
about  40°  C.  the  camphor  is  added  and  dissolved.  If  necessary, 
the  camphor  may  first  be  dissolved  in  a  small  quantity  of  ether. 
The  author  has  prepared  more  than  5,000  camphor  injections  by 
this  method,  and  has  never  had  a  case  showing  any  ill  effects  follow- 
ing the  administration.  (E.  Cabannes,  Bull.  Soc.  Pharm.  de  Bor- 
deaux, 57:  158,  191 9;  through  The  Pharm.  Jour,  and  Pharm.,  Feb. 
14,  1920.) 
GuAiAcoiv  AS  AN  An AESTHETIC. — Dr.  Gcorges  Laurens  advises 
the  use  of  guaiacol  as  an  anaesthetic  for  the  more  ordinary  operations 
on  the  ear,  nose  and  throat.  As  regards  the  ear,  and  more  especially 
paracentesis  of  tne  drum,  he  employs  a  solution  of  synthetic  guaiacol 
in  oil.  The  latter  should  be  prepared  in  the  manner  recommended 
by  Lucas  Championniere.  Very  pure  olive  oil  should  first  be  treated 
with  chloride  of  zinc  in  order  to  get  rid  of  resinous  and  proteid  sub- 
stances ;  then  washed  with  alcohol  to  remove  any  fatty  acids  formed, 
and  finally  it  should  be  kept  at  a  temperature  of  100°  C.  for  some 
time.  The  product  thus  obtained  is  extremely  pure.  Dr.  Laurens 
at  first  made  use  of  a  i  in  10  solution  of  guaiacol,  but  he  soon  aban- 
doned it  in  favor  of  a  i  in  20  solution,  as  he  found  that  the  latter 
produced  quite  satisfactory  anaesthesia.  As  regards  the  technique, 
he  follows  very  closely  that  recommended  by  Dr.  Lehmoyez.  The 
ear  is  cleansed  first  with  tepid  sterile  water,  and  then  with  a  solution 
of  carbolic  acid.  Five  or  six  drops  of  the  guaiacol  solution  are  next 
introduced  into  the  ear  and  allowed  to  remain  during  15  or  20  min- 
utes. It  is  then  removed  by  means  of  a  tampon  of  cotton  wool,  so 
that  the  passage  is  quite  clear  and  the  operator  may  see  what  he  is 
doing.  For  the  operations  in  the  nose  and  throat,  the  solution  is 
applied  by  repeated  paintings.    The  quantity  of  solution  used  has 
