Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
September,  1903.  J 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
413 
extract  of  aconite,  to  contain  not  less  than  05  per  cent,  of  alkaloid ; 
extract  of  belladonna,  to  contain  not  less  than  0-5  per  cent,  of  alka- 
loid ;  extract  of  hyoscyamus,  the  same  as  belladonna ;  extract  of  nux 
vomica,  10  percent,  of  total  alkaloids;  extract  of  opium,  15  per 
cent,  of  morphine;  opium,  not  less  than  10  per  cent,  of  morphine ; 
cantharides,  0-4  per  cent,  of  cantharidin. 
Anesthol. — This  is  the  name  given  by  Prof.  W.  Meyer  to  a  mixture 
of  chloroform,  43-25  ;  ether,  56  75  ;  and  ethyl  chloride,  20-50,  to  be 
used  as  a  general  anesthetic.  (Phar.  Zeitg.,  1903,  page  544,  from 
Centralb.f.  Gynecol?) 
Anthrasol,  a  limpid,  light-yellow  oil,  resembling  olive  oil  in 
appearance,  is  obtained  from  coal  tar,  and  is  described  by  the  manu- 
facturers as  being  a  purified,  colorless  tar  of  great  activity.  It  is  said 
to  be  readily  soluble  in  absolute  alcohol,  acetone,  fatty  oils,  paraffine 
and  paraffine  oil.  It  has  been  used  with  some  success  in  various 
skin  diseases  in  which  tar  and  preparations  of  tar  have  been  found 
useful.    {Zeitschr.  d.  Allgem.  Oest.  Apoth.  Ver.,  1903,  page  661.) 
Cod-Liver  Oil  Substitutes. — A  correspondent  of  the  Pharmaceutische 
Zeitung  (1903,  page  428)  suggests  oil  of  sesamum  as  a  desirable 
substitute  for  cod-liver  oil.  If  thought  desirable  the  addition  of  a 
minute  quantity  of  iodine  would  serve  to  make  the  resemblance  still 
more  eligible. 
Empyroform. — A  formaldehyde  tar  preparation,  to  be  used  in 
various  skin  affections,  is  described  as  a  dry,  non-hygroscopic,  brown 
powder.  It  is  insoluble  in  water  but  soluble  in  chloroform,  acetone 
and  the  solutions  of  the  caustic  alkalies.  The  preparation  is  said 
to  be  quite  as  efficient  as  tar  and  to  be  devoid  of  the  disagreeable 
and  penetrating  odor  so  characteristic  of  the  latter.  [Phar.  Zeitg., 
1903,  page  544.) 
Filmaron  is  the  name  given  by  Kraft  [Phar.  Zeitg.,  1903,  page 
275)  to  an  amorphous  acid  that  he  considers  to  be  the  active  con- 
stituent of  Male  Fern  rhizome.  Filmaron  is  described  as  being  a 
bright  yellowish-brown  powder,  insoluble  in  cold  alcohol  or  petro- 
leum spirit ,  freely  soluble  in  chloroform,  ether  or  carbon  disulphide. 
The  rhizome  of  male  .fern  contains  about  5  per  cent,  of  filmaron. 
The  dose  is  said  to  be  from  0-50  to  0-70  at  one  time. 
Gasu  Basu,  the  name  of  an  Indian  plant  discovered  by  Dalma. 
This  plant  contains  an  alkaloid  that  is  said  to  be  a  satisfactory  local 
anesthetic.    Under  the  trade  name  Nervocidin  it  has  been  used  to 
