238  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  {^"^May^S^™' 
ErythBophleixe.  Prof.  Panas  in  a  communication  to  the 
Academie  de  Medecine  March  6,  1888,  {Prog.  Med.  March  10),  stated 
that  as  a  local  anaesthetic  in  ophthalmology  its  action  was  more  pro- 
longed but  less  complete  than  with  chloral,  while  the  inflammation  and 
pain  which  attends  its  use  renders  it  unsuitable  for  all  eye  operations; 
durable  anaesthesia  is  obtained  mth  chloral  by  repeating  the  instilla- 
tions. 
Assay  of  Coca  Leaves.  In  the  Jour,  de  med.  de  Bruxelles,  Mr. 
Koehler  describes  his  method  as  follows:  Mix  50  gra.  of  finely  pul- 
verized leaves  with  5  gm.  of  dry  carbonate  of  sodium  and  15  gm.  of 
oxide  of  lead ;  macerate  with  50  gm.  of  water  and  dry  in  vacuo  in  a 
large  vessel  at  the  temperature  of  the  Avater  bath.  The  dried  mass  is 
agitated  with  250  gm.  of  benzin  in  a  large  flask  ;  in  twenty-four 
hours  filter  and  recommence  the  process  with  an  equal  quantity  of  the 
solvent.  The  benzin  extracts  are  then  placed  in  a  receiver  and  re- 
duced in  partial  vacuum  to  200  gm. ;  the  temperature  of  the  bath 
should  not  exceed  30°  to  40°  [86°  to  104°  Fah.].  The  extractive  is 
then  briskly  agitated  with  100  gm.  of  1  to  100  HCl  in  water.  After 
frequent  agitation  for  an  hour,  decant  and  wash  the  benzin  extract 
again  with  50  ccm.  of  acidulated  water  as  before.  The  cocaine  is  en- 
tirely dissolved  by  the  acidulated  water.  To  free  from  the  coloring  ex- 
tractive wash  the  hydrochloric  liquor  two  or  three  times  with  20  ccm.  of 
ether.  The  alkaloid  is  displaced  by  an  excess  of  carbonate  of  sodium 
and  extracted  with  20  gm.  of  ether;  after  a  brisk  agitation  the  ether 
is  decanted,  and  replaced  by  a  new  supply,  etc.  The  cocaine  passes 
wholly  into  the  ethereal  extracts.  These  are  evaporated  into  the  free 
air  and  the  alkaloid  separates,  partly  in  long  fine  needles  and  partly  in 
thick  crusts  of  blended  crystals.  These  are  dried  in  vacuo  over  sul- 
phuric acid  and  weighed.  Bepert  de  Pharm.  March,  1888.  [See  also 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm.,  1888,  pg.  199.] 
Oil  of  Sesame  and  Olive  Oil.  In  operating  upon  fat  acids, 
says  Mr.  Ernest  Milliau  (Moniteur  Sci.),  we  have  been  able  to  obtain 
all  necessary  exactitude  by  using  the  saccharated  hydrochloric  acid 
process.  In  acting  directly  on  the  oil  we  may  obtain  rose  colorations 
from  perfectly  pure  olive  oil.  The  appearence  of  this  tint,  which  has 
given  rise  to  so  many  disputes,  arises  from  the  coloring  matter  in  the 
aqueous  part  of  the  oil.  In  treating  this  part  with  HCl  (sacch.)  we 
obtain  a  rose  or  red  coloration  recalling  exactly  that  of  sesame.  So, 
