492  Standardisation  of  Aconite  Preparations. { 
Jour.  Pharm. 
ovember,  1915. 
femoral  or  saphenous  vein,  and  the  basis  we  went  on  was  that  ten 
cubic  centimetres  per  kilogramme  body  weight  should  be  injected  in 
thirty  minutes.    The  following  results  were  secured : 
Table  II. 
Doses  are  Given  in  Fractions  of  a  Cubic  Centimetre  per  Gramme  Body 
Weight  to  Facilitate  Comparison  with  the  Guinea-pig  Figures. 
Cat 
Tincture  A  Tincture  C  Tincture  D  Tincture  E 
I                 O.OOIOQ  O.OOI06  O.OOO52  O.OOO58 
2  O.OOO95  O.OOI20  O.OOO44  O.OCO66 
3                O.OO086  O.OOII5  O.OOO46  0.OO0/6 
4  O.OOO4O  O.OO060  O.O0O39 
5   0.00057 
At  first  glance  the  figures  for  some  of  the  samples  are  not  en- 
couraging. Thus,  we  see  that  one  cat  succumbed  to  a  dose  of  Tinc- 
ture A,  less  than  half  that  required  by  another  animal.  When,  how- 
ever, exceptional  animals  are  ruled  out,  as  cats  4  and  5  Tincture  A, 
it  is  evident  that  little  variation  in  the  dose  required  occurs. 
The  results  secured  by  the  two  methods  of  assay  may  be  com- 
pared in  Table  III. 
Table  III. 
Tinctures                    Tincture  A   Tincture  C     Tincture  D     Tincture  E 
Guinea-pig  method  ....  0.0027        0.0021        0.00093  0.0010 
Cat  method   0.00086       0.001 13      0.00045  0.00066 
We  believe,  as  the  result  of  our  experiments  and  the  experience 
of  others,  that  the  following  conclusions  may  be  drawn : 
1.  The  chemical  method  of  assay  for  aconite  is  unreliable. 
2.  That  the  taste  and  frog  methods  for  the  physiological  testing 
of  aconite  have  little  to  recommend  them. 
3.  That  the  guinea-pig  method  and  the  cat  method  give  results 
that  are  fairly  concordant. 
We  desire  to  express  our  obligation  to  Dr.  Charles  C.  Haskell  for 
assistance  in  and  supervision  of  this  work. 
Laboratory  of.  Pharmacology, 
Medical  College  of  Virginia, 
Richmond,  Va. 
Bibliography. 
1  Comments  U.  S.  P.  and  N.  F.,  1910. 
2  Jour,  of  the  Am.  Ph.  Assoc.,  vol.  2,  1913. 
3  Am.  Jour.  Phar.,  August,  1910. 
4  Old  Dominion  J.  Med.  and  Surg.,  xx,  6,  p.  339  (1915). 
