Amjunuer,'i89iarm'}    The  Juice  of  the  Garden  Cucumber.  269 
subject  of  a  distilled  spirit,  and  an  ointment  of  cucumbers  from 
which  it  will  be  seen  that  the  subject  had  attracted  attention  from 
various  foreign  authors. 
The  writer  of  these  notes,  during  some  experiments  for  the  pur- 
pose of  observing"  the  action  of  the  various  recognized  antiseptics 
upon  vegetable  and  fruit  juices,  included  the  cucumber,  and  was 
somewhat  surprised  to  find  in  it  or  its  juice  one  of  the  most  tract- 
able substances — some  samples,  now  preserved  for  three  years,  and 
exhibited  at  a  recent  pharmaceutical  meeting,  show  no  perceptible 
change  except,  perhaps,  in  a  darker  coloration — the  odor,  taste  and 
gravity  are  apparently  unaltered.  This,  in  a  simple,  plain  way, 
demonstrates  a  fact  that  may  be  of  interest  or  even  use.  It  would 
hardly  seem  necessary  in  view  of  these  results  to  prepare  a  spirit  as 
suggested  by  M.  Emile  Mouchon,  but  to  make  an  ointment  directly 
from  the  expressed  juice,  and  thus  secure  greater  concentration  of 
qualities,  for  it  is  questionable  whether  an  alcoholic  menstruum 
would  represent  more  than  the  peculiar  aroma  of  the  vegetable.  Of 
course,  in  concentrating  the  watery  solution,  or  natural  juice,  in  fat 
or  lard,  greater  care  in  regulating  temperature  would  be  required. 
Beyond  this  a  spirit  would  have  no  advantage  or  preference. 
The  most  successful  antiseptics  used  were  boric  and  salicylic 
acids  and  alcohol,  a  decided  preference  being  given  to  the  salicylic 
acid.  The  proportions  used  in  the  case  of  the  acids  were  2  grains 
to  each  fluid  ounce  of  the  expressed  juice  ;  of  alcohol  8  fluid 
drachms  to  16  fluid  ounces.  Either  of  the  three  agents  will  answer 
the  purpose  well,  but  the  natural  characteristics,  in  all  respects, 
appear  to  be  retained  in  better  degree  by  the  salicylic  acid.  As 
but  a  limited  amount  of  the  acid  is  dissolved  it  is  better  to  allow  it 
to  remain  in  the  juice,  diffused  by  occasional  shaking. 
To  those  not  familiar  with  the  modern  processes  for  the  preservation 
of  fruit-juices  (those  luxuries,  in  a  pure  state,  of  the  soda  fountain),  it 
will  be  a  matter  of  pleasing  as  well  as  profitable  surprise  to  experi- 
ment a  little  and  become  aware  of  the  very  simple  and  easy  means 
by  which  every  Pharmacist  may  prepare  these  products. 
Mercuric  Collodion,  recommended  by  Dr.  Kaposi  as  a  remedy  for  warts, 
is  prepared  by  dissolving  one  part  of  mercuric  chloride  in  30  parts  of  flexible 
collodion.  The  collodion  is  applied  with  a  brush  once  daily  to  the  wart  and 
around  its  base. — Quarterly  Therap.  Rev.,  Jan.,  1891. 
