Am.  Jour.  Pharro. 
March,  1906. 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
139 
prescribed  in  a  1*25  per  cent,  aqueous  solution,  of  which  the  dose  is 
a  tablespoonful  three  times  a  day.  (Phar.  Jour.,  January  20,  1906, 
page  59,  from  Nouv.  Rem.) 
Chloroform  Solutions  of  Iodine. — Chasse vault  (Presse  Med.,  1905, 
page  845)  recommends  the  use  of  a  solution  of  iodine  in  chloroform 
in  the  place  of  the  usual  tincture  of  iodine,  for  external  application. 
Histosan. — This  is  said  to  be  a  chemical  combination  of  albumin 
with  guaiacol.  It  occurs  as  a  light-brown  powder,  having  a  slightly 
aromatic  taste  and  smell.  It  is  nearly,  if  not  quite,  insoluble  in 
water,  alcohol  or  ether,  but  is  readily  dissolved  by  weak  solutions  of 
the  alkalies.  Histosin  has  been  recommended  as  being  indicated  in 
cases  of  tuberculosis,  also  in  diarrhoea.  Dose  for  adults,  0  5  gramme, 
three  times  a  day.    (Apoth.  Zeifg.,  1905,  page  919.) 
Nitron. — This  is  said  to  be  a  sensitive  and  reliable  reagent  for 
nitrates  in  aqueous  solutions.  Chemically  it  is  described  as  diphe- 
nyl-  endalino-  dihydro  triazol.  It  is  claimed  that  nitron  will  posi- 
tively indicate  nitric  acid  in  a  dilution  of  -g^i^.  As  a  reagent  a  10 
per  cent,  solution  of  nitron,  in  5  per  cent,  acetic  acid,  is  used.  To  5 
or  6  c.c.  of  the  suspected  water  add  I  drop  of  diluted  sulphuric  acid 
and  from  6  to  8  drops  of  the  nitron  solution.  If  there  is  an  immediate 
turbidity  or  if  within  one  or  two  minutes  glistening  needle-shaped 
crystals  separate  out  from  the  solution,  the  water  contains  more 
than  100  milligrammes  of  N205  in  each  liter.  If  within  half  an  hour 
no  precipitate  is  produced,  the  water  contains  less  than  25  milli- 
grammes of  N205  in  each  liter. 
Nitron  may  also  be  used  for  the  gravimetric  estimation  of  nitrates. 
[Phar.  Post,  1905,  page  781.) 
Proponal — Dipropyl  barbituric  acid  is  a  homologue  of  veronal  in 
which  the  two  ethyl  groups  are  replaced  by  two  propyl  groups. 
Proponal  is  a  colorless  crystalline  substance  that  melts  at  1450  C. 
and  is  soluble  in  about  70  parts  of  boiling  water  and  in  about  1640 
parts  of  cold  water,  but  is  readily  soluble  in  dilute  solutions  of  the 
alkalies.  It  is  said  to  be  more  active  than  veronal,  and  is  given  in 
doses  of  015  to  0-5  grammes.    (Apoth  Zeit.,  1 90 5,  page  100 1.) 
Protosal. — The  salicylic  ester  of  glycerin  formaldehyde  occurs  as 
a  colorless  oily  liquid  that  has  a  specific  gravity  of  1*344  at  I5°  C 
It  is  freely  soluble  in  alcohol,  chloroform  or  castor  oil,  and  is  to  be 
used  externally,  as  an  embrocation,  in  rheumatic  affections.  (Phar,, 
Zeit.,  1905,  page  1044.) 
