Amjun"er;i189oarm"}   Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals,  293 
dissolved  by  cautious  heating  in  40  parts  acetone  and  then  960 
parts  rape  oil,  or  better  olive  oil,  are  added.  The  acetone  prevents 
the  crystallization  of  the  cantharidin. 
Collodium  Cantharidini. — One  part  finely  powdered  cantharidin  is 
rubbed  up  with  40  parts  castor  oil  and  dissolved  with  the  aid  of 
heat  ;  after  cooling,  40  parts  acetone  and  900  parts  collodium  are 
added,  and  then  colored  by  addition  of  10  parts  tincture  of 
cannabis. — (Helfenberger  Ann.)  Pharm.  Centralhalle,  1890,  264, 
and  Apotheker  Ztg.,  1890,  193. 
Lanolin  in  powder  form. — The  lanolin  is  dissolved  in  ether,  alco- 
hol, chloroform  or  acetone,  the  solution  mixed  with  magnesia  and 
the  mass  dried  ;  the  powder  is  then  mixed  with  starch  in  any  desir 
able  proportion.  Instead  of  starch,  zinc  oxide,  bismuth  salts, 
barytes  or  talc  may  be  used.  The  powder  is  claimed  to  be  valuable 
in  skin  diseases,  especially  for  chapped  surfaces. — (II  farm,  ital.) 
Oesterr.  Ztsch.f.  Pharm,  1890,  214. 
Lanolin- Cream. — Lanolin  is  mixed  with  twenty  times  its  weight 
of  distilled  water  and  warmed  to  65 0  C;  for  every  5  gms.  lanolin 
0-25  gm.  absolutely  neutral  soap  are  incorporated.  If  desired,  a 
minimal  quantity  of  borax,  dissolved  in  water,  may  be  added  to  the 
preparation. — Jaffe  &  Darmstadter  [Pharm.  Ztg.)  Pharm.  Central- 
halle, 1890,  236. 
Insect  Powder. — The  value  of  insect  powder  is  generally  sup- 
posed to  be  due  to  some  volatile  constituent ;  it  is  therefore 
frequently  put  up  in  well-closed  containers,  and  considerable  stress 
laid  upon  its  having  a  decided  odor,  if  effective.  E.  Hirschsohn, 
examining  a  sample  of  the  powder  which  for  five  years  had  been 
kept  in  a  paper  box,  found  it  to  be  entirely  odorless,  but  as  effective 
as  when  purchased.  A  number  of  fresh  samples  of  Persian  and 
Dalmatian  powders,  which  were  tested  and  found  to  be  effective, 
were  heated  to  1200  C.  for  eight  hours,  but  had  not  lost  their 
activity,  although  they  were  completely  deprived  of  odorous  prin- 
ciples. Thinking  that  the  value  depended  upon  the  presence  of 
acid  resin  and  this  gradually  becoming  neutralized  by  absorption  of 
ammonia  from  the  atmosphere  might  cause  deterioration,  experi- 
ments were  made  in  which  the  powder  was  mixed  with  alcoholic 
ammonia  to  alkaline  reaction  and  allowed  to  dry  at  ordinary  tem- 
perature;   when  dried,  the  powder  showed  the  original  activity 
