834 
Current  Literature. 
{Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
November,  1920. 
MEDICAL  AND  PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTES. 
The  Clinical  Significance  of  Cylindroids.^ — On  the  basis  of 
examination  of  8i  cases  of  uncompensated  heart  disease,  Eigen- 
berger  reports  that  his  results  confirm  the  views  of  von  Jaksch  and 
Quensel,  who  ascribe  to  cyhndroids  a  certain  chnical  importance  as 
signs  of  disturbance  of  renal  circulation.  Eigenberger  could  demon- 
strate cylindroids  in  36,  or  44  per  cent.,  of  his  81  cases.  In  most  of 
the  cases  in  which  cylindroids  were  present  there  were  strong  clinical 
signs  of  disturbed  renal  circulation.  In  2  of  the  cases  with  large 
number  of  cylindroids,  necropsy  disclosed  marked  renal  stasis. 
(From  Zentralblatt  filr  innere  Medizin,  Leipzig,  May  15,  1920,  41, 
No.  20;  through  Jour.  Amer.  Med.  Assoc.,  August  28,  1920.) 
Better  Way  to  Give  Benzyl  Benzoate. — To  overcome  the 
unpleasant,  bitter,  burning  taste  of  the  alcoholic  solution  of  benzyl 
benzoate  Hirschf elder  gives  pure  benzyl  benzoate,  10  parts;  emulsion 
of  acacia,  5  parts;  elixir  eriodictyon  aromaticum  (N.  F.),  35  parts; 
dose,  one  teaspoonful.  He  has  been  able  to  secure  relief  of  symptoms 
in  a  considerable  number  of  cases  of  conditions  caused  by  spasm  of 
smooth  muscle,  cardio-spasm,  pylorospasm;  pain  in  gastric  ulcer 
from  aspastic  constipation.  The  relief  occurs  within  half  an  hour 
after  taking  and  lasts.  Benzyl  benzoate  brings  about  relief  in 
many,  but  by  no  means  all,  cases  of  bronchial  asthma,  just  as  is 
true  of  atropine  or  other  drugs  that  inhibit  the  vagus.  Still  more 
striking  results  have  been  obtained  in  the  treatment  of  dysmenorrhea. 
About  80  per  cent,  of  the  patients  have  had  relief  from  pain  after 
from  one  to  three  doses.  (From  Minnesota  Medicine,  St.  Paul, 
August,  1920,  3,  No.  8;  through  Jour.  Amer.  Med.  Assoc.,  August 
28,  1920.) 
Value  of  Colloidal  Gold  Test. — The  results  of  other  workers 
regarding  the  value  of  the  colloidal  gold  test  in  the  diagnosis  of 
general  paralysis  are  confirmed  by  Cruickshank.  The  substance 
in  the  spinal  fluid  of  general  paralytics  which  causes  precipitation 
of  colloidal  gold  is  not  dialyzable  and  resides  in  the  globulin  frac- 
tion of  the  protein  and  in  this  respect  resembles  the  Wassermann 
reacting  substance.  It  is  not  altered  by  heating  to  the  coagulation 
point  of  protein.  The  reaction  is  not  due  to  peptone.  The  various 
types  of  reaction  can  be  simulated  by  mixtures  of  globulin  and 
albumin,  the  globulin  acting  as  a  precipitating  agent  and  the  albumin 
