Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
August,  1920.  ) 
End  of  Simplified  Spelling. 
579 
Under  the  name  of  "organosols"  Martindale  describes  colloidal 
metals  obtained  by  impregnation  of  lanolin  with  an  aqueous  solu- 
tion of  the  salt  of  a  metal  and  subsequent  trituration  with  a  solution 
of  alkali  hydroxide.  By  double  decomposition  the  oxides  or  hydrox- 
ides of  the  heavy  metals  may  thus  be  obtained  as  colloids,  and  the 
product  may  be  dissolved  in  ether,  fats,  or  in  liquid  parafhn,  the 
cholesterol  acting  as  the  protective  agent. 
Colloidal  sulphur  may  be  prepared  by  mixing  solutions  of  sodium 
sulphide  and  sodium  sulphite,  adding  white  of  egg  and  stirring  thor- 
oughly; lastly  adding  dilute  hydrochloric  acid  and  dialyzing.  Col- 
loidal iodine  may  be  obtained  in  several  forms :  aqueous,  oil  and  oint- 
ment. Colloidal  alkaloids  have  also  been  prepared,  but  their  use 
so  far  has  not  become  general.  Colloidal  quinine,  curiously  enough, 
has  no  action  in  malaria. 
Colloidal  antimony  sulphide  is  prepared  from  a  solution  of  tartar 
emetic  with  sulphuretted  hydrogen .  The  potassium  bitartrate  formed 
is  removed  by  dialysis  and  glucose  is  added  to  make  the  solution  iso- 
tonic, gum  acacia  as  a  protective,  and  phenol  as  a  preservative. 
For  a  time  it  was  thought  that  the  therapeutic  action  of  col- 
loidal sols  was  merely  catalytic  or  mechanical,  but  it  is  now  believed 
that  other  factors  are  responsible.  The  results  recorded  for  several 
of  these  all  point  to  an  intensification  of  the  specific  action  of  the 
metal,  which  is  probably  in  the  ionic  condition.  The  fact  remains 
that  whereas  it  was  originally  thought — and,  probably,  with  some 
reason  in  the  case  of  Bredig's  solutions — that  the  actual  metal  was 
immaterial,  it  is  now  known  that  the  different  colloidal  metals  have 
different  therapeutic  effects,  and  cannot  be  employed  indiscriminately. 
There  is  undoubtedly  a  great  future  for  colloidal  remedies  and 
we  are  now  only  standing  on  the  threshold  of  what  may  be  learned 
about  them.  Improved  methods  of  preparation  will  enable  fresh 
colloidal  sols  to  be  prepared  and  will  lead  to  the  discovery  of  fresh 
fields  for  their  employment  and  additional  laurels  for  the  therapeutist. 
THE  END  OF  SIMPLIFIED  SPELLING.* 
There  no  doubt  has  been  some  surprivSe,  but  probably  little  ex- 
pressed regret,  because  of  the  recent  announcement,  made  by  the 
Modern  Language  Association  of  America,  that  it  has  withdrawn 
its  sanction  of  the  simplified  spelling  movement.    The  reason  given, 
*  From  Montreal  Pharmaceutical  Journal,  April,  1920. 
