Am'Dec!!'i£6.arm'}      Gleanings  from  Foreign  Journals.  609 
the  former  dose  is  rather  small  for  good  results.  It  will  produce 
very  natural  sleep,  and  the  patient  awakes  refreshed.  It  is  of  much 
less  value  than  the  drugs  already  considered,  and  fails  more  frequently 
than  the  others  in  producing  sleep.  It  may  be  conveniently  substi- 
tuted for  the  others  when  they  have  been  taken  some  time  consecu- 
tively.— Boston  Med.  and  Surg.  Jour.,  Oct.  14,  1886. 
GLEANINGS  FHOM  FOREIGN  JOURNALS. 
By  Geo.  H.  Ochse,  Ph.  G. 
The  following  practical  suggestions  and  observations  are  contri- 
tributed  by  Dr.  E.  Mylius  : 
UebraJs  Ointment  is  best  prepared  by  digesting  the  component  parts 
at  a  temperature  below  100°  C.  from  24  to  36  hours  and  stirring  for 
several  hours  until  all  traces  of  water  have  been  evaporated.  When 
thus  prepared  Hebra's  ointment  is  almost  white,  very  mild  and 
smooth,  not  rancid  and  of  greater  stability  than  many  of  the  officinal 
ointments.  One  drop  of  oil  of  cloves  added  to  50  gm.  of  ointment 
preserves  it  for  a  considerable  period. 
Cerate  of  subacetate  of  lead  remains  white  and  non-irritating, 
nor  does  it  acquire  a  rancid  odor  when  incorporated  with  2  to  3  per 
cent,  of  boric  acid. 
Ointment  of  iodide  of  potassium  should  be  prepared  by  adding  the 
solution  of  iodide  of  potassium  to  the  lard  and  after  the  lapse  of  one 
hour  sufficient  hyposulphite  of  sodium  to  decolorize  it,  and  '05  per  cent, 
of  oil  of  cloves.  Thus  prepared  ointment  of  potassium  iodide  will 
keep  at  least  8  weeks  and  does  not  decolorize  iodine  when  mixed 
with  it. 
Styrax,  even  when  mixed  with  oil,  frequently  deposits  resin  when 
rubbed  on  the  skin.  As  styrax  owes  its  efficacy  to  the  cinnamic 
acid  ethers  and  not  to  storesin,  the  resin  may  be  removed  by  treating 
with  petroleum  ether. 
Ferrated  eod  liver  oil,  as  usually  prepared,  has  a  bitter  acrid  taste. 
By  saponifying  cod  liver  oil  and  decomposing  with  ferric  chloride,  then 
dissolving  the  precipitate  in  cod  liver  oil,  a  ferrated  oil  devoid  of  any 
unpleasant  taste  is  obtained. 
Resorcin  ointments  frequently  turn  blue  when  applied  to  the  skin 
owing  to  the  presence  of  free  ammonia  or  carbonate  of  ammonium. 
3£ 
