^"iunri,!™*}     Syrupm  Calcis  Lacto-phosphatis.  243 
form  and  yellowish  grey  color,  having  the  testa  covered  with  short, 
close  hairs ;  albumen  horny  and  tasteless.  As  far  as  they  go,  these 
descriptions  agree  with  the  Indian  gum-nuts,  which  I  believe  to  be 
derived  from  Strychnos  potatorum,  Lin.  fil. 
According  to  the  Pharmacopoeia  of  India,  these  seeds  are  also  used 
in  native  practice  as  an  emetic,  (Ainslie,)  as  a  remedy  in  diabetes, 
(Kirkpatrick,)  gonorrhoea,  (Taleef  Shereef,)  &c.  On  what  principle 
the  clearing  action  depends  is  a  matter  of  speculation.  Dr.  O'Shaugh- 
nessy,  at  one  time,  thought  it  was  due  to  an  astringent  principle, 
while  Pereira  *  supposed  it  depending  on  the  presence  of  albumen  and 
casein,  and  Guibourt  attributes  it  to  mucilage  or  pectin.  The  seeds 
are  free  from  tannin,  contain  but  little  albumen,  while,  in  the  few 
experiments  instituted  by  me,  I  could  not  ascertain  the  presence  of 
casein  or  pectin.  A  considerable  proportion  of  a  peculiar  mucilage  is 
present,  which  does  not  yield  a  very  ropy  solution,  and  is  not  precipi- 
tated by  alcohol,  acetate  of  lead  or  sesquichloride  of  iron.  If  vege- 
table matter  is  suspended  in  water,  the  turbid  liquid  put  into  two 
glass  vessels,  and  solution  of  this  mucilage  added  to  one,  the  latter 
liquid  will  settle  the  suspended  matter  in  a  short  time,  while  the 
other  remains  turbid  much  longer. 
The  testa  appears  to  offer  obstructions  to  the  absorption  of  water 
by  the  albumen ;  for,  if  the  testa  be  unbroken,  the  seeds  may  be 
immersed  in  cold  water  for  twenty-four  hours,  and  still  retain  their 
hardness  ;  but,  if  the  testa  is  partly  removed,  or  the  seeds  are  broken, 
the  albumen,  after  twelve  hours  immersion  in  cold  water,  becomes 
soft  enough  to  be  readily  split  by  the  finger-nail. 
SYRUPUS  CALCIS  LACTO-PHOSPHATIS. 
By  William  Neergaard. 
In  the  Archives  Grenerales  de  Medecine  for  December,  1869,  and 
for  January  and  February,  1870,  Dr.  L.  Dusart  recommends  the  use 
of  a  new  preparation,  w^hich  he  terms  the  lacto-phosphate  of  lime,  in 
which  the  lime  salt  is  dissolved  in  free  lactic  acid. 
Dr.  B.  W.  McCready,  of  our  city,  requested  me  to  prepare  a  syrup 
containing  that  compound,  and  I  adopted  the  following  formula : 
*  Pharm.  Jour.  &  Trans.,  ix,  478.  1850. 
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