294 
Progress  in  PJianuacy. 
jAiu.  Jour.  Pharm, 
I       June,  1911. 
crystalline  carbolic  does  react  distinctly  acid  with  litmus  paper,  it 
is  readily  shown  that  this  reaction  is  not  due  to  phenol  but  to  a 
contaminating  acid,  and  that  ordinary  phenol  when  neutralized  with 
a  few  drops  of  alkali,  and  absolutely  pure  phenol  will  comply  fully 
with  the  Ph.  Germ.  V  requirements. 
Pantopon. — A  report  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy  and  Chem- 
istry (/.  A}ii.  M.  Ass.,  191 1,  V.  56,  pp.  1278-1279)  discusses 
pantopon,  and  points  out  that  this  is  a  preparation  of  opium, 
containing  a  mixture  of  hydrochlorides  of  the  various  opium  alka- 
loids, as  extracted  directly  from  the  drug  with  more  or  less  purifica- 
tion. The  Council  holds  that  the  name  does  not  effectively  suggest 
that  the  preparation  is  a  ntixture  of  opium  alkaloids  and  that  it 
does  not  protect  the  public  against  habit-forming  and  other  dangers 
inherent  in  such  mixtures. 
Papine,  a  more  or  less  similar  preparation,  is  also  commented 
upon,  and  an  editorial  (p.  1268)  concludes  that  pantopon  and  papine 
are  a  menace  to  the  public,  and  that  in  spite  of  the  testimonials 
for  both  these  products  it  would  not  be  amiss  if  physicians  would 
continue  to  use  the  drugs,  morphine  and  opium,  whose  value — 
and  dangers — they  know. 
Phosphorus. — An  editorial  discussing  the  possible  elimination 
of  white  phosphorus  in  the  production  of  matches,  points  out  that 
there  are  about  3,500  employees  in  15  of  the  17  match  factories  in 
the  United  States.  Of  3,383  whose  occupation  was  specified  65 
per  cent,  are  exposed  to  phosphorus  fumes ;  95  per  cent,  of  the 
1,395  women  are  so  exposed.  An  intensive  study  of  3  factories 
was  made,  and  eighty-two  cases  of  necrosis  were  discovered. — /. 
Am.  M.  Ass.,  191 1,  V.  56,  pp.  1038-1039. 
Saccharin. — A  widely  published  news  note  reports  that  the 
Secretary  of  Agriculture  has  issued  a  decision,  based  upon  a  finding 
of  the  Referee  Board  of  Consulting  Scientific  Experts,  which  for- 
bids the  use  of  saccharin  in  food  on  and  after  July  i  next.  The 
decision  is  under  the  Food  and  Drugs  Act  and  will  prohibit  the 
manufacture  or  sale  in  the  District  of  Columbia  or  the  Territories 
of  foodstuffs  containing  saccharin,  as  well  as  interstate  commerce 
in  such  footstuffs. 
Sanatogen. — An  answer  to  an  inquiry  points  out  that  sanatogen 
is  said  to  contain  95  per  cent,  of  casein  so  that  30  gm.  (i  ounce) 
of  this  preparation  would  contain  approximately  28.5  gm.  of  protein, 
which  would  yield  117  calories.    This  is  the  equivalent  in  round 
