136 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I      March,  1905. 
maceutical  literature,  and  has  been  on  the  editorial  committee  of 
the  Journal  de  Pharmacie  for  a  number  of  years. 
Adulterated  Digitalis. — An  examination  of  the  powdered  digitalis 
leaves  in  a  number  of  Austrian  pharmacies  has  disclosed  the  fact 
that  some  of  the  supposed  digitalis  consisted  of  powdered  ver- 
bascum  leaves.    (J.  Moeller,  Phar.  Post,  1904,  page  677.) 
Dr.  Wilhelm  Mitlacher,  in  a  more  recent  number  of  the  same 
journal  (Phar.  Post,  1905,  page  41),  reports  finding  two  samples  of 
supposed  digitalis  leaves  that  consisted  entirely  of  a  mixture  of 
Verbascum  and  Inula  Conyza  D.  C.   (Conyza  Squarrosa  L.) 
Adulteration  of  Oil  of  Eucalyptus  with  Castor  Oil  was  recently 
reported  by  C.  J.  Bennett  (Chem.  and  Drug.,  1905,  page  34). 
From  the  reported  characteristics  of  this  particular  mixture,  it 
would  appear  to  be  one  that  is  not  readily  detected  in  the  ordinary 
way. 
A  ready  method  to  distinguish  pure  sulphate  of  quinine  from  the 
commetcial  atticle.  If  o-2  gramme  of  the  quinine  salt  be  dissolved  in 
5  c.c.  of  a  mixture  of  30  volumes  of  petroleum  ether  (spec,  grav., 
0-68)  and  70  volumes  of  chloroform,  the  filtrate  when  diluted  with 
three  times  its  volume  of  petroleum  ether,  will  remain  perfectly 
clear  if  pure  quinine  sulphate  has  been  used.  Other  cinchona 
alkaloids,  when  present,  will  give  a  distinct  precipitate.  By  this 
method,  it  is  asserted,  an  admixture  of  01  per  cent,  of  foreign  alka- 
loids to  quinine  may  be  detected  (Zeitschr.  f.  Anal.  Chem.  through 
Zeit.  d.  Allgemein.  Oest.  Apothek.  I^r,  1904,  1370.) 
Antichoren. — This  is  said  to  be  a  mercuric  iodochloride.  It  occurs 
as  a  dark-brown  amorphous  substance  that  is  soluble  in  water  in 
all  proportions.  When  given  internally  it  is  readily  absorbed,  and 
may  be  advantageously  substituted  for  the  usual  mercurials  in 
syphilis.  It  is  given  in  doses  of  o-Ci  three  or  four  times  a  day. 
{Suddeut.  Apoth.  Zeit.,  1904,  page  889.) 
Castor  Oil  in  powder  form. — A  recent  German  patent  provides 
for  the  mixing  of  an  emulsion  of  castor  oil  with  an  equal  weight 
of  calcined  magnesia,  the  added  water  is  subsequently  evaporated 
and  the  resulting  mass  powdered.  {Suddeut.  Apoth.  Zeit.,  1905, 
page  36.) 
Formane,  a  combination  of  formaldehyde  and  menthol  as  an  inha- 
lation, is  said  to  be  a  useful  remedy  for  cold  in  the  head.  The 
following  is  a  typical  formula  : 
