Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Oct.,  1890. 
Chinese  Cinnamon. 
497 
vulgaris,  guttata  nummularis,  with  aristol,  and  reports  all  the  cases 
as  cured  after,  at  longest,  twelve  days'  treatment.  He  applied  the 
drug  as  10  per  cent,  ointment  in  lanolin  or  vaselin,  or  with  zinc 
starch.    In  none  of  the  cases  was  any  ill  by-effect  observed. 
Dr.  Schuster8  records  a  case  of  syphilis  of  the  naso-pharynx,  in 
which  he  had  a  very  good  result,  after  the  use  of  aristol  in  powder. 
The  case  had  been  under  treatment  for  some  months  without  any 
benefit,  potassium  iodide  being  administered  internally  and  mercury 
by  inunction.  Dr.  Schuster  reports  also  a  case  of  psoriasis  in  which 
he  used  aristol  with  very  rapid  and  good  results.  He  applied  a  IO 
per  cent,  solution  of  the  drug  in  collodion  flexile. 
Dr.  Seifert9  has  made  an  extended  trial  of  the  new  drug  in  the 
syphilis  clinic  at  Wiirzburg,  and  reports  very  favorably  on  its  use. 
He  has  used  it  in  ulcers  of  the  leg,  lupus,  psoriasis,  moist  condyl- 
omata, and  suppurating  gummata,  and  in  all  cases  in  which  it  was 
applied  the  good  result  was  most  marked.  Dr.  Seifert  states  that 
he  did  not  find  any  iodine  in  the  urine  when  aristol  was  administered 
internally. 
Dr.  v.  Swiecicki10  has  made  a  trial  of  the  drug  in  gynaecological 
practice.  He  has  used  aristol  in  twenty  cases,  and  in  all  the  drug 
has  had  a  beneficial  action.  The  cases  reported  comprise  endo- 
metritis, hyperplasia  of  the  cervix,  parametritis,  eczema  vulvae,  and, 
after  operation  for  fissure  of  the  cervix,  applied  as  a  dusting  powder. 
—  The  Medical  Chronicle,  July,  1890. 
CHINESE  CINNAMON.1 
By  Henry  Humphreys,  Ph  C,  Hong-kong. 
It  is  generally  supposed  that  Chinese  cinnamon  is  the  same  thing 
as  cassia,  but  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  this  is  not  the  case. 
One  day  I  noticed  our  Chinese  manager  take  a  piece  of  bark  out  of 
his  pocket,  cut  a  bit  off,  and  put  it  in  his  tooth.  He  explained  that 
it  was  cinnamon,  and  that  it  was  used  to  stop  his  toothache.  I 
looked  at  the  bark  and  asked  him  if  it  was  not  cassia  he  meant. 
He  smiled  complacently  and  remarked :  "  One  does  not  pay  five 
dollars  an  ounce  for  cassia."    I  have  since  investigated  the  matter, 
8  Monatsh.  f.  prakt.  Dermatologie,  X,  No.  6. 
9  Wien.  klin.  Wochenschr.,  1890,  No.  18. 
10  Oest.-ung.  Centralbl.  f.  d.  med.  Wissenschaften,  1890,  No.  2. 
1  Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  Aug.  16,  1890,  p.  123. 
