^'"'juiy'^i^^^'*"'"}    Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  345 
hydrate,  and  this  might  be  a  cause  of  error.  When  the  quantity  of 
free  acid  passes  a  certain  limit  the  hydric  sulphide  loses  the  power  of 
clouding  the  solution — a  confirmation  of  the  presence  of  free  acid. 
The  principle  here  applied  may,  with  appropriate  modifications,  be 
made  very  useful  in  the  laboratory  for  composites  which,  when  pure, 
give  acid  or  basic  reactions. — J.  de  Fhar.  Anvers ;  Bull.  Comm,y 
May,  1888. 
Neutralization  of  Poisons. — At  the  sitting  of  May  12th, 
Society  de  Biologie,  Mr.  Roger  communicated  the  results  of  experi- 
ments to  discover  if  a  mortal  dose  of  a  toxic  substance  is  modified  by 
the  simultaneous  introduction  of  another  toxic  substance.  He  used 
morphine,  atropine,  quinine  and  chloride  of  potassium.  He  first 
learned  the  "  toxic  equivalents  ^'  of  each  substance  when  injected  hypo- 
dermically,  and  then  used  the  bodies,  two  at  a  time.  Mixtures  of 
atropine  and  morphine  caused  death  much  sooner  than  the  toxic 
equivalent  of  either.  The  same  was  the  case  with  mixtures  of  atro- 
pine and  quinine,  and  of  quinine  and  morphine.  In  all  cases  the  two 
substances  acted  synergically,  and  their  toxic  powers  increased  by 
exact  progression.  Mixtures  of  chloride  of  potassium  and  quinine 
had  nearly  twice  the  toxic  energy  indicated  beforehand  by  their 
components.  When  the  potassic  salt  is  united  to  morphine  each  sub- 
stance acts  as  if  isolated,  and  the  animal  succumbs  after  receiving  a 
mortal  dose  of  either.  Save  in  the  latter  instance  the  action  of  toxic 
substances  when  mixed  two  by  two,  is  in  accordance  with  the  sum  of 
their  toxic  power.  In  no  case  was  there  observed  a  toxic  antagonism, 
that  is  to  say,  the  more  or  less  complete  neutralization  of  one  poison 
by  another. — Le  Progres  mM.,  May  19th,  1888. 
Comparison  of  Antipyrine  and  Acetanilide  with  Sola- 
nine. — In  a  long  and  carefully  prepared  communication  to  the  Con- 
grhs  d^  Oran,  Dr.  G.  Sarda  arrives  at  the  following  conclusions  :  The 
three  medicaments  are  excellent  nervines.  Antipyrine  is  superior  to 
the  others  in  primitive  or  secondary,  acute,  articular  rheumatism,  mi- 
graine, recent  neuralgias  and  paroxysmal  pains.  Antipyrine  and  ace- 
tanilide act  in  about  the  same  way  \i.  e.  they  ameliorate.  Trans.]  in 
neuralgias  of  long  standing  and  in  motor  excitation.  Solanine  is  an 
excellent  analgesic.  Although  inferior  to  the  other  two  drugs  in  com- 
bating acute,  articular  rheumatism,  it  appears  to  be  superior  in  old 
neuralgias.    It  calms  gastric,  ataxic  and  lancinating  pains.    It  is  an 
