Am'Feb.?i893frm'}  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  69 
is  indicated  by  the  following:  Salicylic  acid  and  resorcin,  5  per  cent, 
each  ;  salicylic  acid  and  sulphur,  5  per  cent,  each  ;  salicylic  acid, 
resorcin  and  sulphur,  5  per  cent,  each  ;  camphor,  2  per  cent,  and 
sulphur,  5  per  cent.;  camphor,  2  per  cent,  sulphur,  5  per  cent,  and 
balsam  of  Peru,  10  per  cent.;  .9-naphthol  and  sulphur,  5  per  cent, 
each;  mercuric  chloride,  2  per  cent,  and  sodium  chloride,  1  per 
cent. — (Therap.  Monatsh)  Pharm.  Ztg.,  1892,  736. 
Cancroin  is  obtained  by  Dr.  Adamkiewicz  from  cancer  tissue,, 
upon  which  Coccidinm  sarkolytus  is  parasitic.  Cancroin  is  a  func- 
tional product,  and  as  such  presents  protection  against  the  parasite 
itself.  It  has  a  remarkable  similarity,  physically  and  physiologically, 
to  the  ptomaines,  especially  to  7ieurine,  and  the  latter  could  replace 
cancroin  in  its  specific  action  towards  the  cancer-cell ;  it  is  possible 
that  the  two  substances  are  identical.  This  name  cancroin  is  not 
only  given  to  the  poison  in  the  cancerous  tissue,  but  also  to  a  solu- 
tion containing  25  per  cent,  neurine  neutralized  with  citric  acid,  then 
saturated  with  carbolic  acid  and,  lastly,  diluted  with  twice  its  volume 
of  water. — Pharm.  Ztg.,  1892,  755. 
Artificial  camphor, — Terebenthen,  obtained  in  the  distillation  of 
turpentine,  is  saturated  with  hydrochloric  acid  gas;  the  two  isomers 
produced,  one  solid,  the  other  liquid,  are  separated,  as  only  the 
former  is  available  for  the  production  of  camphor.  This  is  then 
mixed  with  an  alkaline  carbonate,  and  heated  in  a  still  to  about 
120°  C.  to  produce  and  vaporize  the  hydrocarbon,  camphene, 
C10H]6;  in  the  form  of  vapor,  camphene  is  acted  upon  by  ozone  or 
ozonized  air,  whereby  the  hydrocarbon  takes  up  oxygen,  forming 
camphor,  C10H16O.  The  camphor  is  compressed,  melted  or  subjected 
to  distillation. — (German  Patent),  Pharm.  Ztg.,  1892,  756. 
Commercial  basic  bismuth  salicylate.— -The  variable  composition  is 
seen  from  the  analyses  of  six  brands,  made  by  Dr.  F.  Goldmann. 
The  moisture  and  free  salicylic  acid  varied  between  o  il  and  5  07 
per  cent.,  and  the  bismuth  oxide  between  57*84  and  72-34  per  cent. 
Two  of  the  salts  contained  1 1-93  and  20  20  per  cent.,  respectively,  of 
bismuth  subnitrate.  The  recommendation  is  made  that  future 
Pharmacopoeias  give  processes  for  making  the  salt  so  as  to  insure  a 
more  uniform  product. — Pharm.  Ztg.,  1892,  797. 
Alkalinity  of  sodium  acetate. — The  varying  statements  regarding 
the  reaction  of  sodium  acetate  in  aqueous  solution  led  Dr.  F.  Colli- 
