292 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
/  Am.  Jour,  Pharm. 
I      June,  ,  1911. 
trade-names  in  so  far  as  the  practice  of  pharmacy  is  afifected  there- 
by.— Ibid.,  March  25,  p.  424. 
Benetol. — An  unsigned  article  in  the  "  Propaganda  for  Re- 
form "  discusses  the  claims  that  are  being  made  for  benetol,  and 
concludes  that  the  claim  made  in  the  advertising  matter  that  benetol 
is  a  newly  discovered  compound  is  absurd.  It  is  not  a  chemical 
compound  but  a  simple  solution  of  the  well-known  substance 
alphanaphthol  in  the  still  better-known  substances,  glycerin,  soap 
and  water. — /.  Am.  M.  Ass.,  191 1,  v.  56,  pp.  1128-1129. 
Caffeine. — The  article  on  Therapeutics  in  the  Journal  of  the 
American  Medical  Association  for  May  6,  191 1  (v.  56,  pp.  1328- 
1331)  is  devoted  to  a  discussion  of  the  therapeutics  of  cafTeine. 
The  history  of  this  chemical  is  reviewed  and  the  pharmacology 
and  therapeutics  discussed  at  some  length.  Caffeine-containing 
drugs  such  as  guarana  and  kola  are  also  discussed. 
Cargentos. — Cargentos  is  claimed  to  be  a  preparation  of  col- 
loidal silver  containing  50  per  cent,  of  metallic  silver  in  the  form 
of  oxide,  together  with  a  sufffcient  amount  of  modified  casein  to 
maintain  the  silver  oxide  in  colloidal  form  when  in  solution. 
Cargentos  is  prepared  by  precipitating  an  alkaline  solution  of 
silver  caseinate  and  silver  oxide  by  an  acid,  dissolving  the  precipi- 
tate in  an  alkali,  dialyzing  the  resulting  solution  against  running 
v^^ater  and  evaporating  the  remaining  colloidal  solution  to  dryness  in 
vacuo. — /.  Am.  M.  Ass.,  191 1,  v.  56,  p.  1460. 
Colchicine. — Hermann  Fiihner  {Archiv  filr  Experimentelle 
Path.  u.  Pharm.)  considers  it  necessary  to  apply  biological  as  well 
as  chemical  tests  for  toxicological  determinations  of  colchicine,  since 
colchicine  resists  the  putrefactive  processes  of  the  dead  body  for 
several  months  and  certain  animal  decomposition  products  give 
color  reactions  similar  to  those  of  the  alkaloid. 
Cycloform. — Cycloform  is  the  isobutyl  ester  of  p-amidobenzoic 
acid,  which  forms  a  white  crystalline  powder,  slightly  soluble  in 
water,  easily  soluble  in  alcohol,  ether  and  benzene.  It  is  a  powerful 
local  anaesthetic,  and  has  but  little  toxic  action.  It  is  recommended 
in  the  form  of  a  5-per-cent.  ointment  or  dressing,  and  is  useful 
in  certain  skin  diseases. — Chem.  and  Drug.,  191 1,  v.  78,  April  29, 
p.  151. 
Digitalis. — An  editorial  (/.  Am.  M.  Ass.,  191 1,  v.  56,  pp. 
1198-1199)  in  discussing  the  standardization  of  digitalis,  calls  atten- 
tion to  Hyg.  Lab.  Bull.  No.  74,  in  which  Hale  points  out  that  the 
