598  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  {Kmh\T,\l^ 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
By  Louis  von  Cotzhausen,  Ph.G. 
Balsam  of  Sulphur. — In  contradiction  to  Haefner's  statement,  that 
balsam  of  sulphur  was  first  introduced  in  1630,  at  Schmalkalden,  R. 
Mathias  claims  that  the  priority  belongs  to  Basilius  Valentinus,  of 
Erfurt,  who,  in  the  year  1500,  compounded  a  solution  of  sulphur  in 
fatty  oils  and  called  it  balsam  of  sulphur.  Mathias  Schmidt,  at  Schmal- 
kalden, was,  however,  the  first  to  introduce  it  on  a  large  scale  for 
medicinal  purposes,  and  who  secured  by  law  the  sole  privilege  of  manu- 
facturing it  to  his  descendants,  who  claimed  marvelous  and  ridiculous 
virtues  for  it  and  still  make  a  secret  of  its  composition.  The  principal 
constituents  seem  to  be  sulphur,  linseed-oil,  turpentine,  amber,  oliba- 
num,  mastic,  myrrh  and  oil  of  juniper. — Pharm.  Ztg.,  Oct.  18,  1879, 
p.  646. 
Tapeworm  Remedies. —  Dr.  Kraus  has  observed  very  unfavorable 
results  in  several  cases  with  Oleoresina  filicis,  which  demonstrate  that  it  is- 
far  from  being  as  innocent  in  large  doses  as  generally  believed.  '  Her 
therefore,  opposes  the  practice  of  dispensing  it  without  a  physician's  pre- 
scription. Mayer  reports  never  failing  success  with  a  decoction  of  the 
unpeeled  rhizome  in  cases  where  the  officinal  oleoresin  failed.  Koossa 
is  considered  by  Kraus  fully  as  efficacious,  and  is  given  by  him  in  the 
dose  of  25  grams  in  lemonade  on  an  empty  stomach,  with  black  coffee, 
if  desired,  and  followed  one  hour  later  by  castor  oil ;  he  always  diets 
the  patients  on  the  day  before  the  remedy  is  administered.  The  same 
author  states  that  fresh  Pomegranate-root  Bark,  given  in  infusion,  never 
failed  in  removing  the  entire  worm.  If  the  patients  are  very  young  it 
appears  better  to  prevent  the  rapid  growth  of  the  taenia  by  administer- 
ing calomel  as  a  laxative  every  three  months. 
Blackberries  were  recently '  recommended  as  a  tasnifuge  by  Dr.  Le- 
derer,  who  reports  a  very  successful  cure  of  an  old  lady  who  had  pre- 
viously taken  almost  all  other  remedies  without  success. — Pharm.  Ztg.y 
Oct.  11,  1879,  p.  632,  and  Oct.  15,  1879,  p.  638. 
Clarifying  Honey. — An  unusually  elegant  and  pure  preparation  is 
obtained,  according  to  F.  E.  Bourquin,  by  heating  quickly  and  strongly 
2  liters  or  less  of  a  mixture  of  10  kilos  of  crude  honey,  0*15  to  C25 
grams  tannic  acid  and  about  10  to  15  grams  Irish  moss.  The  honey 
usually  becomes  perfectly  clear  and  pure  at  the  expiration  of  10  min- 
