172  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  {Am-/p°riir;f8Srm' 
is  acid  in  reaction,  ten  grams  requiring  11-4  cc.  Tn7  alkali  for  neutral- 
ization ;  total  solids  20-80  per  cent.,  including  4-60  per  cent.  ash. 
Other  species  of  Teucrium,  also  Pulegium  vulgare  possess  the  same 
medicinal  virtue,  but  in  a  lesser  degree.  Teucrim  has  been  found  a. 
valuable  remedy  in  the  treatment  of  the  fungoid  local  diseases, 
abscesses ;  it  is  used  hypodermically  and  acts  by  causing  increased 
blood  circulation  in  the  diseased  part. — ( Wiener.  Med.  Bl)  Pharm. 
Centralhalle,  1893,  89. 
Pepsin. — At  a  recent  meeting  of  the  Berlin  Pharmaceutical 
Society,  Dr.  F.  Witte,  speaking  upon  pepsin,  stated  that  too 
stringent  requirements  regarding  perfect  solubility  of  pepsin  were 
being  made ;  that  from  his  experience  pepsins  forming  perfectly 
clear  solutions  had  decreased  albumin  dissolving  power.  Pepsin 
dissolving  4,000  parts  albumin  could  easily  be  made  ;  he  had  been 
manufacturing,  for  American  export,  pepsin  dissolving  10,000  parts 
of  albumin,  for  some  time.  At  the  Columbian  Exposition  he 
intended  to  exhibit  an  absolute  pepsin,  but  declined  to  state  anything 
regarding  its  albumin  solvent  power. — Pharm.  Centralkalle,  1893,  92. 
Caffeine-iodol. — If  caffeine  and  iodol,  in  molecular  proportion,  be 
mixed  in  alcohol  solution,  a  crystalline  addition  product  separates.. 
The  product  is  of  a  light  gray  color,  odorless,  tasteless  and  insoluble, 
or  nearly  so,  in  most  solvents ;  it  contains  74  6  per  cent,  iodol  and 
25-4  per  cent,  caffeine.  As  iodol,  by  prolonged  keeping,  liberates 
iodine  and  thus  has  injurious  effect,  the  above  permanent  compound 
is  considered  worthy  of  trial. — E.  Konteschweller  ;  Pharm.  Central- 
halle,  1893,  95- 
ABSTRACTS  FROM  THE  FRENCH  JOURNALS.  - 
Translated  for  The  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy. 
Preparation  of  hydrobromic  acid. — E.  Leger  gives  the  following 
two  processes  in  Jour,  de  Pharm.  et  de  Chim.  (Feb.  1893,  P-  188): 
Introduce  KBr  into  a  retort  and  heat  on  a  water-bath  until  the 
salt  has  attained  a  temperature  of  ioo° ;  then  add  sulphuric  acid 
drop  by  drop,  which  causes  the  hydrobromic  gas  to  become  disen- 
gaged. However,  a  small  portion  of  bromine  and  of  sulphurous 
acid  is  also  liberated.  The  gaseous  mixture  is  purified  by  being 
passed  first  over  a  saturated  aqueous  solution  of  HBr,  containing 
