468 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
(Am.  Jour.  Pliarm. 
\    October,  1913. 
It  is  thought  that  the  patient,  a  woman,  had  taken  over  4  ounces 
of  the  drug  at  one  dose. 
Nitroglycerin. — Cornwall,  Edward  E.  (/.  Am.  Med.  Assoc., 
1913,  v.  61,  pp.  1 18-120).  Nitroglycerin  should  never  be  used  for 
the  primary  purpose  of  a  heart  stimulant.  When  given  under  the 
tongue  it  produces  almost  -as  prompt  an  effect  as  when  injected 
under  the  skin.  The  chief  contra-indications  to  the  use  of  nitro- 
glycerin are  (1)  low  or  relatively  low  blood  pressure;  (2)  ad- 
vanced chronic  nephritis  with  very  high  blood  pressure  and  toxemic 
conditions  producing  high  blood  pressure,  as  a  rule;  and  (3)  the 
presence  of  an  idiosyncrasy  in  regard  to  its  action. 
Nux  Vomica. — Hjelt,  W.  (Apoth.  Ztg.,  191 3,  v.  28',  p.  415 
[Farmaceutiskt  Notisblad,  1913,  No.  10]).  Nux  vomica  extracted 
with  menstrua  containing  from  20  to  70  per  cent,  of  alcohol  was 
found  to  yield  tinctures  that  contained  essentially  the  same  amount 
of  alkaloids  though  the  extract  content  in  the  tinctures  made  with 
low  percentage  alcohol  was  much  higher  than  that  of  the  tinctures 
made  with  stronger  alcohol. 
Opium. — Anon.  (Chem.  &  Drug.,  1913,  v.  83,  p.  56).  The 
Chinese  Government  has  requested  that  the  opium  accumulated 
at  Chinese  ports  be  reshipped  to  non-Chinese  markets  and  has 
offered  to  pay  the  freight.  No  final  decision  has  as  yet  been 
come  to  by  the  British  Government. 
Opium,  Production  of. — Anon.  (Suedd.  Apoth.  Ztg.,  191 3,  v. 
53,  pp.  263-264).  An  article  by  R.  Millant  on  the  production  of 
opium  in  Turkey  states  that  there  are  at  the  present  time  3  markets 
for  this  opium,  Smyrna,  Constantinople  and  Salonica,  that  receive 
their  opium  from  the  adjoining  country. 
Phenolsidphonephthaelin. — Goodwin,  Charles.  (/.  Am.  Med. 
Asoc,  1913,  v.  61,  pp.  184-189).  The  use  of  phenolsulphoneph- 
thalein  in  estimating  the  functional  activity  of  the  kidneys.  The 
intravenous  injection  of  the  substance  is  not  as  satisfactory  as 
when  it  is  given  by  mouth.  It  frequently  gives  information  that 
is  of  considerable  value. 
Potassium  Permanganate,  as  an  Antithetic. — Barton,  Wilfred  M. 
(/.  Am.  Med.  Assoc.,  1913,  v.  61,  pp.  196-197).  A  preliminary 
communication  in  regard  to  potassium  permanganate  as  a  local 
anesthetic  to  the  genito-urinary  mucous  membranes ;  with  a  report 
of  several  cases.   It  has  no  perceptible  action  on  the  skin. 
Salvarsan. — Wadhams,  S.  H.    (/.  Am.  Med.  Assoc.,  1913,  v. 
