^pSeffS-}  Formaldehyde.— Gleanings.  447 
this  appeared  to  be  the  case  in  this  instance  as  evidenced  by  the 
large  amount  of  starch  indicated.  In  testing  for  this  substance,  the 
method  of  Eberhardt  (Amer.  Jour.  Pharm.,  1896,  p.  371)  was 
employed,  as  it  gives  results  not  to  be  had  by  that  of  the  Pharma- 
copoeia. 
Analytical  Department  of 
Eli  Lilly  &  Company,  July  5,  1898. 
is 
VOLUMETRIC  DETERMINATION  OF  FORMALDEHYDE. 
The  undersigned  is  indebted  to  Mr.  Lyman  F.  Kebler,  chemist  for 
Smith,  Kline  &  French  Company,  of  Philadelphia,  for  calling  his 
attention  to  an  error  in  the  method  of  calculating  the  per  cent,  of 
absolute  formaldehyde  from  the  result  of  titration,  in  a  paper  pub- 
lished in  the  February  number  of  this  Journal.  In  several  of  the 
methods  discussed,  the  quantities  were  so  adjusted  that  the  number 
of  cubic  centimetres  of  volumetric  solution  consumed,  multiplied  by 
2,  would  indicate  the  per  cent,  of  absolute  formaldehyde  present, 
each  cubic  centimetre  being  equivalent  to  2-0  per  cent.  Through 
an  inadvertent  substitution  of  the  process  of  division  for  that  of 
multiplication,  it  was  incorrectly  stated  that  each  cubic  centimetre 
represented  0  5  per  cent,  of  formaldehyde.  The  error  occurs  on 
page  88,  line  19  ;  page  90,  line  12  ;  and  page  91,  line  21.  In  each 
case  2-o  per  cent,  should  be  read  instead  of  0  5  per  cent.  This 
error  does  not  affect  any  of  the  conclusions  arrived  at  in  the  paper. 
Carl  E.  Smith. 
Philadelphia,  Pa.,  August  10,  1  \ 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  MEDICAL  JOURNALS. 
By  Clement  b.  Lowe,  M.D. 
THE  RENEWAL  OF  PRESCRIPTIONS,  ETC.,  IN  GERMANY. 
A  recent  decision  of  the  Ministry  of  Public  Worship,  of  Educa- 
tion and  of  Medical  Affairs  in  Germany,  is  of  interest.  Prescrip- 
tions for  internal  use  in  Germany  may  not  be  repeated  for  the 
patient  by  an  apothecary  unless  the  physician  signifies  his  approval 
in  writing.  External  remedies,  however,  may  be  repeated.  Sub- 
stances prescribed  as  eye-washes,  for  inhalation,  for  subcutaneous 
injection, or  for  clysters  and  suppositories  are,  by  this  recent  decision, 
