128 
Current  Literature. 
[Am.  Jour.  Pharm, 
«-    February,  19 19. 
Iodide  of  Starch  as  an  Antiseptic  for  Wounds. — Iodide  of 
starch  is  recommended  as  an  antiseptic  for  dressing  wounds.  It  is 
very  active  as  a  bactericide,  is  stable,  is  not  immediately  destroyed 
by  contact  with  the  tissues,  and  may  be  left  in  contact  with  the 
wound  for  many  hours,  or  even  for  several  days,  if  necessary. 
Ordinary  iodide  of  starch  containing  18  to  20  per  cent,  of  iodine 
is  too  irritant  for  this  purpose.  A  combination  of  1  part  of  iodine 
with  99  parts  of  starch  is  sufficiently  active  and  is  free  from  any 
irritant  action.  This  is  applied  direct  to  the  surface  in  powder 
form,  or  as  a  gelatinous  paste  by  warming  it  with  water.  Usually 
wounds  are  found  to  be  free  from  organisms  after  the  third  dress- 
ing with  this.  If  it  is  desired  to  use  Carrel's  irrigation  method,  the 
following  solution  may  be  used.  Soluble  starch  25  Gms. ;  solution 
of  iodine  and  potassium  iodide,  1:  100,  50  mils;  boiling  water  to 
make  1,000  mils.  This  contains  0.5  Gm.  of  iodine  in  1  liter,  and  has 
an  antiseptic  power  similar  to  that  of  Dakin's  solution.  It  is  non- 
irritant,  and  the  adjoining  surfaces  need  not  be  protected  from  its 
action.  It  has  no  destructive  action  on  textile  fabric,  which  the 
hypochlorites  rapidly  attack.  (A.  Lumiere,  Comptes  rend.,  1917, 
165,  376,  through  The  Pharm.  Jour,  and  Pharm.,  August,  1918.) 
Atophan  and  Several  of  Its  Derivatives. — Atophan  is  toxic 
to  cold-blooded  but  not  to  warm-blooded  animals ;  it  paralyzes  the 
central  nervous  system  and  the  nerves  of  the  heart  in  frogs.  After 
administration  to  men  the  uric  acid  excretion  was  much  increased, 
the  atophan  being  excreted  as  hydroxyphenylquinolinecarboxylic  acid 
which  will,  itself,  increase  uric  acid  excretion.  (L.  Rotter,  Z.  exp. 
Path.  Ther.,  19,  176,  1918;  C.  A.,  12,  2384,  1918.) 
J.  F.  C. 
The  Effect  of  Various  Agents  on  Superficial  Hemorrhage 
and  the  Efficiency  of  Local  Hemostatics. — Beginning  with  the 
•  most  efficient,  the  order  of  efficiency  of  the  more  important  of  all  the 
<  hemostatic  agents  tested  is  epinephrin,  pituitary  extract,  tyramin, 
acetic  acid,  ferric  chloride,  quinine-urea-hydrochloride,  tannin,  so- 
dium bicarbonate,  barium  chloride,  cane  sugar,  sodium  chloride.  A 
number  of  other  agents,  which  were  tried,  can  lessen  local  hemor- 
rhage in  variable  degrees,  but  on  the  whole  they  are  inferior  and 
undesirable  for  various  reasons.  The  following  among  the  more 
important  of  this  class  and  for  which  hemostatic  claims  have  been 
