rrogress  in  rliannacy. 
J  Am.  Jour.  PLariii. 
I    iSi-ptfUiber,  1911. 
new  constituent  {Apothcker  Zcitiiiig,  1911,  219).  It  is  a  lactone 
of  the  formula  Cij^HigOg,  melting  at  83°  and  boiling  at  250°  at  250 
mm.  pressure.  It  forms  a  di-brom  addition  product,  C^^R^qO^Bt^. 
On  heating  with  alcoholic  potash,  it  gives  the  potassium  salt  of  the 
oxyacid  QgHigO^. — Chcni.  and  Drug.,  July  29,  191 1,  p.  164. 
Digitalis. — S.  Hirohashi  presents  the  results  of  a  study  of  the 
quantitative  valuation  of  digitalis,  in  which  he  reports  his  results 
with  the  Focke  method,  using  a  Japanese  variety  of  Rana  escidenta. 
These  results  would  indicate  that  an  infusion  strained  through 
muslin  is  more  active  than  the  corresponding  preparation  filtered 
through  paper. — /.  Pharm.  Soc,  Japan,  July,  191 1. 
The  Chemistry  of  Ethyl  Ether. — Baskerville  and  Hamor  present 
the  results  of  a  comprehensive  study  on  the  chemistry  of  ethyl 
ether,  including  a  comprehensive  bibliography.  The  report  includes 
observations  on  the  changes  which  occur  in  ethyl  ether  during 
storage,  the  action  of  oxygen  on  ether,  the  detection  of  peroxides 
in  ethyl  ether,  and  a  scheme  for  the  examination  of  ethyl  ether 
for  analytical  and  anaesthetic  purposes,  with  particular  reference 
to  the  detection  of  avoidable  impurities. — /.  Ind.  ajid  Eng.  Chcni., 
191 1,  V.  3,  pp.  378-398. 
Baskerville,  in  a  review  of  the  chemistry  of  anaesthetics,  points 
out  that  American  official  ethers  call  for  three  to  four  per  cent,  of 
ethyl  alcohol,  in  accordance  with  an  old  and  erroneous  theory  that 
alcohol  protects  the  ether.  Alcohol  is  practically  never  free  from 
water,  and  in  the  presence  of  water  and  oxygen  forms  oxidation 
products. 
Hegonin. — This  is  described  as  silver  nitrate  ammonia  albumose, 
obtained  by  treating  silver  ammonimii  nitrate  with  albumose. 
Hegonin  is  said  to  contain  approximately  7  per  cent,  of  organically 
combined  silver.  It  occurs  as  a  light-brown  powder  readily  soluble 
in  water.  Its  aqueous  solutions  do  not  coagulate  albumin,  even  on 
heating,  nor  are  they  precipitated  by  sodium  chloride. — /.  Am.  M. 
Assoc.,  191 1,  V.  57,  p.  396. 
Hexamekol. — A  news  note  (Chem.  and  Drug.,  July  29,  191 1, 
p.  164)  points  out  that  hexamekol  is  a  combination  of  guaiacol  and 
hexamethylenetetramine^  It  forms  a  white  crystalline  powder,  and 
contains  65  per  cent,  of  guaiacol. 
Hormonal. — Peristaltic  Hormone-Zuelzer  is  a  liquid  extract 
obtained  from  the  spleen  of  an  animal  killed  at  the  height  of 
digestion.    Hormonal  is  a  yellowish  liquid  which  is  often  turbid, 
