558 
Current  Literature. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
August,  19 19. 
nervous  system,  found  that  a  concentrated  solution  had  a  very  favor- 
able effect  when  applied  to  scalds  and  burns.  Burns  of  the  second 
degree  are  invariably  arrested  in  their  development  when  such  a 
solution  is  applied  early,  while  those  of  the  third  degree  run  a  more 
favorable  course  under  this  treatment  than  under  any  other  method. 
A  solution  of  25  per  cent,  strength,  or  even  stronger,  should  be  used. 
(From  The  Prescribe)',  May,  1919.) 
Wounds:  Paraffin  Treatment  (British  Med.  Jour.,  1919,  1, 
243,  Mar.  1). — E.  F.  Pratt  confirms  the  advantages  of  paraffin  in 
the  treatment  of  burns,  as  testified  to  by  Hull  and  by  Haig.  Several 
cases  are  described,  which  the  author  states  were  under  observation 
from  start  to  finish.  The  majority  were  cases  of  lacerated  wounds : 
in  some  "ambrine"  was  used,  in  others  No.  7  paraffin.  The  tech- 
nique is  carefully  detailed,  the  essentials  of  which  are  cleansing 
with  sterile  water  and  spraying  on  the  melted  paraffin.  One  layer 
of  gauze  is  put  over  this,  then  a  cotton-wool  pad  and  a  bandage. 
This  is  retained  for  twenty-four  hours ;  five  dressings  are  'usually 
sufficient  to  effect  a  cure.  The  author  states  that  the  objections  to 
"  bipp  " — expense,  toxicity,  and  interference  Avith  x-ray  work — do 
not  apply  to  paraffin.  He  is  of  the  opinion  that  the  active  ingredient 
in  "  bipp  "  is  the  paraffin,  iodoform  never  having  given  satisfaction 
in  the  past,  while  bismuth  is  inert. — P.  A.  H.  (The  Prescriber, 
May,  1919.) 
Importance  of  Fats  in  the  Assimilation  of  Albuminoids. — 
The  author  has  previously  shown  that  in  the  presence  of  fats  the 
toxicity  of  albuminoids  of  food  is  diminished  and  their  nutritive 
value  is  increased.  When  fat  is  present  the  minimum  quantity  of 
albumin  necessary  to  maintain  weight  is  only  about  one  third  that 
required  when  starch  replaces  fat.  The  amount  of  starch-albumin 
ration  necessary  to  maintain  weight  contains  about  one  fourth  more 
calories  than  a  similar  fat-albumin  ration.  It  has  long  been  known 
that  the  administration  of  fats,  and  especially  oil-containing  seeds 
and  milk,  assists  assimilation.  This  was  formerly  attributed  to  the 
stimulation  of  the  digestive  secretions  by  the  fat.  But  this  ex- 
planation is  not  sufficient.  Fats  intervene  in  the  synthetic  recon- 
struction of  protein  molecules.  Maillard  has  shown  that  glycerin 
acts  as  a  condensing  agent  with  the  amino-acids.    The  author  finds 
