Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  | 
March,  1913.  J 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
131 
v.  59,  pp.  2 1 48-2 1 49)  reports  4  cases  of  primrose  dermatitis  caused 
by  the  flowers  of  the  wild  primrose,  Primula  farinosa,  Linne, 
which  grows  wild  throughout  the  southern  part  of  Wisconsin, 
Minnesota,  Michigan  and  northern  Illinois. 
Salicylates,  Relative  Value  of  Natural  and  Synthetic. — Cary 
Eggleston  (/.  Am.  M.  Assoc.,  1912,  v.  59,.  pp.  2057-2064)  reports 
a  comprehensive  study  of  the  literature  on  the  relative  toxicity  of 
natural  and  of  synthetic  salicylates  in  an  effort  to  locate  definitely 
the  reasons  for  the  belief  if  reasons  are  to  be  found.  He  presents 
rather  a  comprehensive  reflection  of  the  literature  and  concludes 
that  the  evidence  in  favor  of  the  "  natural  "  salicylates  is  extremely 
slight,  the  bulk  of  the  evidence  indicating  that  physicians  all  over 
the  world  have  demonstrated  the  artificial  salicylates  to  be  quite 
as  effective  as  the  "  natural  "  and  no  more  liable  to  produce  un- 
favorable actions  under  similar  conditions. 
Salvarsan  Solutions. — Adolf  Jaiser  (Sudd.  Apoth.  Ztg.,  19 12, 
v.  52,  p.  726).  The  occurrence  of  thromboses  following  the  in- 
travenous injection  of  solutions  of  salvarsan  prompted  an  inquiry 
which  revealed  the  fact  that  the  manufacturers  have  revised  their 
system  of  control  numbers  so1  that  it  is  no  longer  possible  to  dis- 
tinguish the  comparative  date  of  manufacture.  It  was  also  ob- 
served that  the  physical  properties  of  different  samples  of  salvarsan 
varied  widely. 
Sodium  Glycerophosphate. — The  Council  on  Pharmacy  and 
Chemistry  (/.  Am.  M.  Assoc.,  1913,  v.  60,  p.  442)  describes 
sodium  glycerophosphate  as  occurring  in  white  monoclinic  plates 
or  scales,  having  a  saline  taste ;  odorless ;  easily  soluble  in  cold  and 
hot  water ;  nearly  insoluble  in  alcohol  and  containing  not  less  than 
99  per  cent,  of  hydrated  sodium  glycerophosphate,  with  5.5  mole- 
cules of  water  of  crystallization. 
Solidified  Fixed  Oils.— Aufrecht  (Pharm.  Ztg.,  1912,  v.  57,  pp 
876-877)  discusses  the  several  processes  of  hydration  that  are 
being  employed  and  points  out  that  the  most  satisfactory  results 
appear  to  have  been  obtained  by  catalytic  processes,  using-  nickel 
and  palladium  as  the  catalizing  agents.  While  any  fixed  oil  can 
be  used,  sesame  oil,  peanut  oil,  cottonseed  oil,  and  castor  oil  have 
been  experimented  with  most  extensively.  The  chemical  changes 
brought  about  are  evidently  due  to  the  hydration  of  the  unsaturated 
fatty  acids,  the  iodine  number  being  reduced  to  3.9  per  cent,  cor- 
