^"^  Ajrii.im"'  }    Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals,  181 
Dec.  1887  ;  Bull.  gen.  de  therap.  Feb.  29,  1888),  reports  six  cases 
of  hemicrania  cared  by  giving  from  one  half  to  one  teaspoonful  of 
table  salt  dissolved  in  a  wine  glass  of  water.  It  should  be  given  on 
the  appearance  of  the  first  symptoms,  when  it  generally  aborts  the 
attack  ;  when  the  seizure  is  established  also,  it  gives  way  very  rapidly 
to  this  treatment.  The  writer  thinks  the  remedy  will  be  of  especial 
value  when  the  trouble  arises  from  gastric  disturbances.  He  ascribes 
the  results  to  the  reflex  action  caused  by  the  salt — the  same  explana- 
tion given  by  Nothnagel  concerning  the  value  of  salt  in  epileptic 
seizures. 
The  Ferric  Salts  Administered  Hypodermically. — Dr. 
Scipione  Losio  gives  {Rlvista  clinica  ;  Bull.  gen.  de  therap.,  Feb.  29, 
1888)  the  results  of  clinical  studies  undertaken  in  this  direction.  He 
made  use  of  the  lactate,  ferro-sodic  pyrophosphate,  albuminate,  citrate, 
tartrate,  sulphate  (precipitated  with  alcohol),  and  citro-ammoniated 
pyrophosphate  of  iron,  and  all  of  these  salts  were  used  in  solution  in 
distilled  water  at  J  to  100,  1  to  100  and  1 J  to  100.  The  author 
draws  from  his  experiments  the  following  conclusions  :  1 .  The  thera- 
peutic action  of  the  salts  of  iron  introduced  hypodermically  is  much 
more  efficacious,  and  the  effect  is  more  promptly  felt,  than  when 
given  by  the  digestive  tract.  2.  Of  the  various  salts  of  iron,  the 
citro-ammoniated  pyrophosphate  is  best  suited  to  the  end  in  view. 
3.  Next  to  this,  the  preference  should  be  given  to  the  lactate  and  the 
albuminate  ;  they  do  not  give  rise  to  abscess,  and  the  smarting  is  less 
intense  and  of  shorter  duration. 
Innocuousness  of  the  Salts  of  Nickel. — Professor  Riche 
(Comptes  rend.]  Repert.  de  Fharm.,  February,  1888,)  states  that  the 
salts  of  nickel  (which  have  been  thought  toxic),  should  range  with  the 
salts  of  iron.  In  experiments  with  dogs  and  guinea-pigs  he  has  given 
doses  varying  from  120  mgm.  to  1  gm.  270  mgm.  without  causing  se- 
rious disturbances.  One  dog  absorbed  21  gm.  of  the  acetate  of  nickel 
in  sixty  days,  and  far  from  succumbing,  actually  increased  in  weight. 
We  cannot  form  conclusions  concerning  man  from  these  experiments, 
•says  Prof.  Riche,  but  we  may  be  justified  in  supposing  that  the  use  of 
nickel  for  culinary  utensils  is  no  more  injurious  for  man  than  the  use 
of  iron  would  be,  to  which  metal  it  bears  much  resemblance. 
Syrup  and  Pastilles  of  Saccharin. — For  the  former,  Kiigler 
{Journal  de  Ph.  et  de  Ch.,  March  1,  1888,)  gives  the  formula:  Sac- 
charin, 10  gm.;  bicarbonate  of  sodium  12  gm.;  distilled  water  1000  gm. 
