Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 1 
October,  1913.  J 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
467 
hydrochloride,  the  hydrochloride  of  an  alkaloid  found  in  Cephaelis 
ipecacuanha,  occurs  as  a  white,  crystalline  powder,  soluble  in  water 
and  alcohol.  The  aqueous  solution  of  emetine  hydrochloride  is 
practically  neutral  toward  litmus.  The  general  alkaloidal  reagents 
precipitate  emetine,  even  from  dilute  solutions.  Alkalies  precipitate 
it  from  aqueous  solutions  of  its  salts.  Emetine  is  said  to  act 
similarly  to  ipecac,  but  is  relatively  more  nauseant  and  less  emetic. 
Ergot. — Crawford  and  Crawford.  (/.  Am.  Med.  Assoc.,  1913, 
v.  61,  pp.  19-23).  The  cock's  comb  test  for  the  activity  of  ergot 
preparations,  with  report  of  a  number  of  experiments  made  with 
hydroxyphenylethylamin . 
Glycyrrhiza. — Anon.  (Client.  &  Drug.,  1913,  v.  82,  pp.  773- 
774).  The  collection  of  1-icorice  root  in  Turkey  and  Russia  has 
been  developed  into  a  nourishing  industry  by  an  Anglo-American 
concern.  A  considerable  proportion  of  the  licorice  gathered  is  used 
for  flavoring  tobacco  in  the  United  States.  In  Syria  the  licorice 
plant,  Glycyrrhiza  glabra,  is  not  cultivated,  but  is  found  growing 
wild  in  large  quantities,  usually  in  stretches  of  open  land  where 
the  soil  is  of  a  damp  and  marshy  character.  It  is  regarded  by  the 
natives  as  a  serious  pest,  greatly  interfering  with  cereal  cultiva- 
tion. 
Hedeoma. — Macht,  David  I.  (/.  Am.  Med.  Assoc.,  1913,  v. 
61,  pp.  105-107).  A  case  of  poisoning  by  oil  of  pennyroyal;  with 
report  of  some  experimental  observations,  from  which  the  author 
concludes  that  the  so-called  emmenagogue  oils  are  by  no  means  innoc- 
uous substances,  and  do  not  deserve  the  place  among  the  official 
pharmacologic  preparations  which  many  of  them  hold. 
Hydrastis. — Anon.  (Suedd.  Apoth.  Ztg.,  1913,  v.  53,  p.  240). 
Fluid  extract  of  hydrastis  precipitates  readily  and  the  precipitate 
usually  carries  down  with  it  some  of  the  contained  alkaloids. 
Hygralon  is  the  name  given  to  a  mercury-potash  soap  prepared 
from  cocoanut  oil  with  30  per  cent,  metallic  mercury,  which  is  said 
to  be  an  efficient  substitute  for  blue  ointment  as  an  antisyphilitic 
inunction  (Chem.  &  Drug.,  1913,  v.  28,  p.  945.) 
Lactopeptine. — Puckner,  W.  A.  (/.  Am.  Med.  Assoc.,  1913, 
v.  61,  pp.  358-359).  A  report  on  the  re-examination  of  lacto- 
peptine, which  confirms  the  findings  of  the  Council  on  Pharmacy 
and  Chemistry  published  some  six  years  ago. 
Magnesium  Sulphate. — Anon.  (Pharm.  J.,  1913,  v.  90,  p. 
719).   A  case  of  death  by  poisoning  from  Epsom  salts  is  reported. 
