552 
Current  Literature. 
[Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
<-     August,  19 19. 
tion  and  contained  in  the  flask  has  been  expelled.  With  blood,  etc., 
the  7.5  Cc.  of  filtrate  and  1  Cc.  of  sodium  carbonate  solution  are 
boiled  together  in  a  similar  way  in  a  small  conical  flask  fitted  with  a 
funnel-stopper,  and  the  1  Cc.  of  modified  Benedict  solution  is  added 
after  they  have  boiled  for  a  few  seconds.  The  water  used  for 
diluting  the  iodine  solution  and  for  washing  out  the  flask,  etc., 
should  have  been  recently  boiled  and  cooled.  With  these  addi- 
tional precautions  the  method  gives  uniformly  reliable  figures,  even 
with  the  small  amount  of  sugar  in  normal  urine  and  blood.  (From 
Lancet,  London,  May,  through  Journal  American  Medical  Assoc., 
June  28,  1 91 9.) 
Dilute  Fluorescein  Solutions  for  the  Determination  of 
Ozone. — When  air  containing  very  minute  traces  of  ozone  is 
shaken  with  a  1  : 000,000,000  solution  of  fluorescein,  the  fluorescein 
is  destroyed,  and  the  color  is  discharged.  If  stronger  solutions  of 
the  dye  are  used,  only  the  fluorescence  disappears :  a  yellow  solu- 
tion remains.  Oxygen  and  other  oxidizing  agents  do  not  act  thus. 
The  reaction  is  not  only  more  sensitive  for  ozone  than  any  of  the 
hitherto  published  tests,  but  it  is  quantitative.  Two  molecules  of 
ozone  will  discharge  the  fluorescence  of  one  molecule  of  fluorescein. 
The  trace  of  ozone  detectable  in  this  manner  is,  therefore,  prac- 
tically one  third  of  the  quantity  of  fluorescein  acted  on.  Thus,  3 
mils  of  the  1  :  1,000,000,000  solution  is  equivalent  to  practically 
0.001  Mgm.  of  ozone.  Since  the  fluorescence  of  1  mil  of  the 
solution  is  distinctly  visible,  the  degree  of  sensibility  of  the  reac- 
tion is  evident ;  it  greatly  exceeds  that  of  the  familiar  starch  and 
potassium  iodide  test  paper.  (L.  Benoest,  Comptes  rend.,  1919, 
168,  612;  from  The  Pharm.  Jour,  and  Pharmacist,  June  28,  1919.) 
MEDICAL  AND  PHARMACEUTICAL  NOTES. 
Isotonic  Eye  Lotions. — A  solution  of  sodium  chloride  contain- 
ing 14  Gms.  in  a  litre  is  isotonic  with  the  lachrymal  secretion,  and  it 
has  been  proved  that  a  solution  of  this  strength  is  best  borne  by  the 
corneo-conjunctival  epithelium.  A  reduction  must  be  made  for  the 
amount  of  any  medicament  that  may  be  added,  and  this  is  ascer- 
tained in  the  usual  way,  viz.,  by  dividing  the  molecular  weight  of 
sodium  chloride  by  that  of  the  medicament  and  multiplying  by  the 
