Amsept.?i89oarm" }   Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  443- 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
By  Frank  X.  Moerk,  Ph.G. 
Preservation  of  Infusions. — At  a  pharmaceutical  meeting  in 
Christiania,  Norway,  Dr.  E.  Larsen  exhibited  specimens  of  various 
infusions — notably  digitalis — which  were  several  months  old,  and 
had  not  undergone  any  changes  ;  the  infusion  of  digitalis  was  still 
found  to  be  very  effective.  The  method  of  preservation  was  to 
simply  sterilize  the  infusion  and  afterwards  prevent  the  introduction 
of  germs ;  this  was  accomplished  as  follows :  The  infusion  was 
placed  in  a  flask  with  a  doubly  perforated  cork  containing  a  short, 
straight  tube  closed  with  a  plug  of  cotton,  and  a  syphon-tube  with  a 
short  piece  of  rubber  and  pinch  cock,  the  glass  syphon-tube  reach- 
ing to  the  bottom  of  the  flask ;  to  sterilize,  the  infusion  is  boiled  so 
that  steam  passes  through  the  cotton  for  one-half  minute,  by  closing 
the  short  tube  with  a  cork  for  a  moment,  the  syphon-tube  being 
open,  the  latter  fills  with  the  infusion ;  allowing  the  pinch  cock  to 
close  the  syphon-tube  and  removing  the  cork  from  the  short  tube, 
the  infusion  can  be  removed  at  will,  simply  by  opening  the  pinch 
cock ;  the  cotton  preventing  any  germs  from  entering  the  flask,  but 
allowing  filtered  air  to  take  the  place  of  the  infusion. — Pharm.  Cen- 
tralhalle,  1890,  405. 
Glycerinum  saponatum,  a  solution  of  soap  in  glycerin  is  used  by 
von  Hebra  as  a  base  in  various  dermal  remedies.  The  soap  used  is 
a  perfectly  neutral  cocoanut  oil-soda  soap  or  tallow-soda  soap,  dried 
at  8o°-ioo°  C.  The  soap  is  dissolved  in  glycerin  sp.  gr.  1-25,  using 
a  water  bath,  and  the  solution  filtered  hot ;  after  cooling  it  forms  a 
pale  yellow,  odorless  elastic  mass,  melting  at  the  temperature  of  the 
body ;  completely  soluble  in  water  it  can  be  used  as  a  base  for  oint- 
ments as  well  as  for  lotions ;  it  is  hygroscopic  and  must  be  pre- 
served in  closed  vessels.  The  most  useful  preparation  contains  20 
per  cent,  soap,  although,  for  some  purposes,  8  per  cent,  soap  is  more 
desirable.  In  making  medicated  preparations  the  glycerinum 
saponatum  is  melted  and  the  medicinal  agents  incorporated  or  dis- 
solved. 
For  the  following  combinations  80  per  cent,  glycerin  and  20  per 
cent,  soap  is  used  :  with  salicylic  acid,  5  per  cent. ;  useful  in  softening 
hard  skin  on  hands  or  feet ;  with  salicylic  acid  and  resorcin,  5  per 
cent,  of  each  ;  zvith  salicylic  acid  and  creasote,  5  per  cent,  of  each  ; 
with  salicylic  acid  and  tar,  3  and  10  per  cent. 
