Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
{Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
December,  1913. 
Capsules. — Editorial :  The  gelatin  capsule  was  invented  by 
Mothes  in  1833,  and  the  French  Academy  of  Medicine  declared  his 
invention  to  be  an  immense  service  to  science  and  humanity.  On 
March  25,  1834,  Mothes  and  Dublanc  applied  for  a  French  patent  for 
gelatin  capsules,  and  they  obtained  an  additional  patent  on  December 
4th  of  the  same  year. — Chem.  &  Drug.,  1913,  v.  83,  p.  458. 
Despyrin. — A  remedy  stated  to  be  tartryl-salicylic  acid  has  been 
put  upon  the  market  as  the  latest  headache  and  neuralgic  remedy. 
It  has  been  examined  by  German  analysts,  who  state  that  it  is  a  mix- 
ture of  acetyl-salicylic  acid  with  potassium  bitartrate. — Chem.  & 
Drug.,  1913,  v.  83,  p.  358. 
Digitalis. — Eggleston,  Cary:  Reports  some  clinical  observations 
on  the  emetic  action  of  digitalis  and  concludes  that  there  is  neither 
valid  experimental  nor  clinical  evidence  that  therapeutic  doses  of 
the  digitalis  bodies  cause  nausea  or  vomiting  through  local  irritant 
action  on  the  alimentary  tract.  All  true  digitalis  bodies  produce 
nausea  and  vomiting  by  direct  central  action,  so  that  it  is  fallacious 
and  wholly  irrational  to  seek  to  avoid  these  symptoms  resulting 
from  the  oral  administration  of  any  given  preparation  by  resort  to 
another  preparation  or  to  another  channel  of  administration. — /.  Am. 
M.  Assoc.,  1913,  v.  61,  pp.  757-761. 
Electr-HG. — Electromercurol  is  a  colloidal  suspension  of  mer- 
cury equivalent  to  0.1  per  cent,  metallic  mercury  (Hg)  and  contain- 
ing a  small  percentage  of  sodium  arabate.  Electr-Hg  is  an  odorless, 
tasteless  liquid  appearing  transparent  and  brown  in  color  by  trans- 
mitted light  and  opaque  and  gray  by  reflected  light.  The  addition 
of  potassium  cyanide  solution  or  of  strong  nitric  acid  yields  clear, 
colorless  solutions.  The  nitric  acid  solution  responds  to  tests  for 
mercury. — /.  Am.  M.  Assoc.,  191 3,  v.  61,  p.  868. 
Hcxamethylenamine. — Cuntz,  W. :  States  that  this  drug  (uro- 
tropin)  cannot  be  regarded  as  absolutely  harmless.  With  the  usual 
dosage  he  has  witnessed  hematuria  and  albuminuria  develop  in  two 
cases.  {Munch,  med.  Wchnschr.,  1913,  40,  No.  30). — /.  Am.  M. 
Assoc.,  1913,  v.  61,  p  815 
Kresophine  consists  of  coal  tar  deprived  of  all  constituents  other 
than  phenols  and  derivatives  of  pyrocatechin.  It  forms  a  reddish- 
brown  liquid,  which  is  free  from  any  burning  taste,  and  is  easily 
miscible  with  all  organic  solvents.  Its  use  is  identical  with  that  of 
other  coal  tar  products. — Chem.  &  Drug.,  191 3,  v.  83,  p.  526. 
Melubrin  is  described  as  sodium  i-phenyl-2,3-dimethyl-5-pyrazo- 
