556  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  [AmNov.?i8£arm" 
gm.,  gum  arabic  2-50  gm.;  (2)  in  the  form  of  a  solution:  iodol  10  gm., 
oil  of  sweet  almonds  or  olive  oil  1 50  gm.,  yielding  a  clear  and  limpid 
liquid;  (3)  as  crayons  or  bougies:  iodol  5  centigm.,  lanolin,  wax, 
gum  aa  0-25  gm.;  (4)  as  a  salve:  iodol  1  gm.,  petrolatum  10 
gm. 
Sulphonal  for  the  sweats  of  consumptives. — Erede  (Rif.  med.}  22 
May,  1 891)  draws  the  conclusion,  based  on  a  large  number  of 
observations,  that  medium  doses  to  1  gm.)  of  sulphonal  suppress 
the  phthisical  night  sweats  with  certainty,  the  effect  continuing  for 
some  days  after  the  cessation  of  the  medicine. 
Preparation  of  chlorine. — A  Reychler  (Revue  Scientif.,  through 
Nouv.  Rented.,  1 89 1 ,  419)  publishes  a  new  method  for  the  technical 
preparation  of  chlorine,  based  on  the  action  of  hydrochloric  acid  on 
two  salts  of  magnesium.  A  solution  of  one  part  of  manganese 
chloride,  one  part  of  magnesium  chloride  and  one  or  two  parts  of 
sulphate  of  magnesium  is  evaporated  to  dryness  and  heated  to  dull 
red  heat  with  access  of  air.  The  mixture  gives  off  hydrochloric 
acid  containing  a  small  quantity  of  chlorine.  The  residue,  consist- 
ing of  sulphate  and  manganate  of  magnesium,  is  treated  with 
hydrochloric  acid  ;  this  liberates  about  one-quarter  of  the  chlorine 
contained  in  the  hydrochloric  acid  and  yields  the  same  solution 
with  which  the  process  was  started.  This  is  then  treated  like  the 
original  solution. 
The  hypnotic  action  of  chloralamide. — Triis  {Hospitals-Tidente 
1 891,  No.  12)  has  used  chloralamide  (chloral-formamide)  in  29 
cases  (413  doses)  and  draws  the  following  conclusions:  With 
women  the  hypnotic  action  manifests  itself  with  certainty  on  the 
exhibition  of  2  gm.;  males  on  the  other  hand  are  rather  refrac- 
tory. In  cases  of  delirium  tremens  and  chronic  alcoholism  it  is 
usually  without  effect. 
Influence  of  tobacco  on  healthy  persons. — J.  Ydan  Pouchkine 
(Wratch,  No.  48,  1890)  arrived  at  the  following  conclusions  on  the 
action  of  tobacco  after  experimenting  with  seven  non-smokers. 
The  latter  smoked  twenty-five  cigarettes  every  day  for  three  days. 
(1)  Tobacco  increases  the  quantity  of  the  gastric  juice,  but  reduces 
its  acidity;  (2)  it  reduces  the  quantity  of  hydrochloric  acid  in  the 
gastric  juice;  (3)  as  the  quantity  of  free  hydrochloric  acid  is  dimin- 
ished so  is  the  digestive  force  of  the  gastric  juice  reduced;  (4)  it 
