140  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  {^^"^iArch.i^'"'' 
by  small  draughts  within  the  twenty-foiu'  hours. — Rep.  de  phar.,  Jau., 
1888. 
Quebracho  and  its  Alkaloids. — Recent  studies  by  Dr.  Huchard 
as  communicated  to  the  Bull,  de  la  Soc.  therap.,  appear  to  do  little, 
more  than  to  confirm  the  belief  that  the  drug  is  chiefly  of  value  in 
dyspnoea.  He  finds  that  all  of  the  alkaloids  are  toxic,  the  most  poison- 
ous being  quebrachine  and  hypoquebrachine,  which  cause  convulsions 
and  rapid  death.  Aspidospermine  is  the  least  toxic  and  the  most  use- 
fill  in  dyspnoea.  He  finds  that  some  of  the  aspidospermine  of  commerce 
is  but  a  mixture  of  all  the  quebracho  alkaloids,  which  Hesse  (Amer. 
Jour.  Phar.  1882,  p.  366) designated  as  follows:  quebrachine,  hypo- 
quebrachine,  quebrachamine,  aspidospermatine  and  aspidosamine  :  the 
bark  contains  also  quebrachol. — Le  Monde  pharm.,  Jan.  20,  1888. 
Bromhydrate  of  Coxicixe  is  reported  as  having  been  used 
successfully  in  the  Children's  Hospital  at  Berne,  for  the  treatment  of 
tetanus  and  trismus.  The  case  of  a  child  of  seven  years,  suffering 
from  both  affections,  is  reported  in  Nouveaux  Remedes  of  January  24, 
1888 ;  the  medicament  was  used  hypodermically — two  doses  of  2 
mgm.  each  at  intervals  of  two  hours,  after  which  the  child  was  able 
to  swallow  liquids.  The  same  dose  was  given  by  the  mouth  until 
three  doses  had  been  given,  which  lessened  the  spasm.  On  the  second 
day,  four  doses  were  given,  and  on  the  third,  three,  when  the  trismus 
disappeared,  and  the  reflex  troubles  diminished.  This  is  in  accord 
with  Schultz  and  Binz's  experiments  with  conicine  upon  animals 
poisoned  with  brucine. 
Phosphuret  of  Zinc,  according  to  recent  experiments  by  Guidi, 
and  by  Cauali  and  Betz,  constitutes  the  best  form  in  which  to  admin- 
ister phosphorus,  while  it  is  easily  divided,  is  stable  and  is  well  borne. 
Vigier  recommends  that  the  crystallized  chemical  be  used  in  making- 
the  preparations ;  the  dose  should  be  equal  to  1  to  3  mgm.  of  phospho- 
rus per  diem.  The  above-named  investigators  agree  with  Kassovitz 
(see  Moniteur  therap.,  Nov.  7,  1887),  as  to  the  great  value  of  phospho- 
rus in  rachitis.  In  a  very  large  number  of  cases  cited,  cure  was 
complete ;  in  others  there  was  a  notable  amelioration,  and  the  results 
were  negative  only  when  tlie  medicament  was  not  well  tolerated  or 
caused  diarrhoea." 
BiBORATE  OF  Ammonium  is  reported  as  having  been  successfully 
used  in  cases  of  nephritic  colic.  The  doses  are  given  at  1  gm.  25  cgm. 
every  two  hours  until  easy  micturition  is  obtained;  and  afterward 
