Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
September,  1920.  ) 
Correspondence. 
683 
authors  comment  most  favorably  on  its  pentrating  power  and  its 
germicidal  action  on  the  gonococcus;  they  also  remark  that  it  is 
practically  non-irritating  and  harmless  to  the  eyes,  only  a  slight 
burning  effect  being  experienced  during  the  first  few  seconds.  The 
red  stain  is  to  some  extent  a  drawback,  but  it  is  no  more  objectionable 
than  argyrol  in  this  respect,  and  will  not  produce  a  permanent  stain, 
as  occasionally  happens  with  the  silver  preparations.  (From  The 
Prescriher,  August,  1920.) 
Phenyl-methyl  Carhinol:  A  New  Local  Anaesthetic. — In  our  issue 
of  May,  1920,  p.  212,  reference  was  made  to  benzyl  carbinol,  or  rose 
oil,  as  a  local  anaesthetic.  A.  M.  Hjort  and  C.  E.  Kaufmann  {Jour. 
Pharm.  and  Exp.  Ther.,  15:  129,  1920,  Apr.)  have  conducted  experi- 
ments with  its  isomer  phenyl-methyl  carbinol.  They  find  it  to  be  a 
more  potent  local  anaesthetic  on  the  rabbit's  cornea  and  in  the 
human  skin  than  either  its  isomer  rose  oil  or  their  homologue  benzyl 
alcohol,  but  not  in  proportion  to  its  greater  toxic  action.  The  rela- 
tive instability  of  the  a-phenethylol  offers  further  objection  to  its 
practical  application.  It  is  suggested  that  the  increased  physiological 
action  may  be  due  to  the  presence  of  the  asymmetric  carbon 
atom.    (From  The  Prescriher,  August,  1920.) 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
BROOKI.YN,  N.  Y.,  August  31,  1920. 
"Credit  to  Whom  Credit  is  Due'' 
My  d^ar  Bkringkr: 
Would  thank  you  for  the  following  correction,  A.  J.  Ph. 
in  connection  with  my  paper  "Pharmaceutical  Events  1870,"  pub- 
lished in  the  Aup^ust  number : 
In  the  article  on  Simpson  and  the  Introduction  of  Chloroform  on 
p.  572  the  statement  is  made: 
This  account  is  taken  from  the  author  s  lectures. 
Somehow  the  typist  forgot  the  succeeding  line : 
and  Victor  Robinson's  fascinating  hook  ''Pathfinders  in  Medicine." 
I,  as  one,  believe  in  giving  "credit  to  whom  credit  is  due"  and 
expect  to  be  treated  the  same  way. 
Fraternally  yours, 
Otto  Raubenheimer,  Ph.M. 
