642 
Pharmaccu  tic  a  I  M eeting. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Pbarra. 
i   December,  1895. 
The  next  paper,  on  Agar-Agar  as  a  Base  for  Glycerin  Suppositories,  was 
read  by  Prof.  F.  G.  Ryan,  and  was  the  cause  of  considerable  discussion. 
Samples  of  suppositories  made  with  agar-agar,  containing  respectively  50  per 
cent,  and  75  per  cent,  of  glycerin,  were  shown,  as  was  also  a  sample  of  agar-agar. 
Mr.  Procter  said  that  he  had  found  difficulty  in  the  official  process  for  this 
preparation  and  that  he  used  twice  the  quantity  of  glycerin  there  directed, 
which  gave  a  satisfactory  product. 
Mr.  England  recommended  the  use  of  anhydrous  glycerin  when  the  quantity 
is  increased. 
Mr.  Beringer  said  that  the  heat  of  the  water-bath  is  not  sufficient  in  this 
operation,  but  that  a  low  flame  is  to  be  preferred,  and  he  further  stated  that  he 
uses  sodium  bicarbonate  instead  of  the  carbonate  which  contains  water  of  crystal- 
lization. He  also  recommended  keeping  the  suppositories  in  a  container  having 
a  paraffined  cork,  as  cork  alone  is  not  impervious  to  moisture,  and  it  is 
liable  to  stain  the  suppository  unless  protected  in  this  way,  or  the  difficulty 
may  be  obviated  by  placing  paraffined  paper  underneath  the  cork. 
Mr.  Procter  gave  a  suggestion  in  regard  to  dispensing  them.  His  method  is 
to  dispense  them  in  glass  vials,  each  suppository  having  a  string  running 
underneath  it  for  its  removal  from  the  vial.  The  string  projects  by  the  side  of 
the  cork,  and  they  are  both  paraffined. 
Several  other  practical  points  were  brought  out  in  the  discussion,  in  which 
Messrs.  Ryan,  Beringer,  Remington  and  England  participated. 
On  motion  of  Prof.  Trimble,  a  vote  of  thanks  was  tendered  those  who  had 
presented  specimens. 
The  papers  were  referred  to  the  Publication  Committee,  and,  on  motion, 
the  meeting  adjourned. 
T.  S.  WlEGAND, 
Registrar. 
The  Antidotes  for  Hydrocyanic  Acid  have  been  recently  discussed  in  a 
paper  by  Dr.  John  G.  Spenzer,  before  the  Cleveland  Medical  Society.  Mechan- 
ical antidotes,  as  emetics  and  stomach  tubes,  are  of  no  value,  since  enough 
time  is  lost  in  their  application  to  allow  of  the  absorption  into  the  blood  of  a 
quantity  of  hydrocyanic  acid  sufficient  to  produce  fatal  results. 
The  Hungarian  toxicologist,  Johan  Antal,  has  recommended  cobaltous 
nitrate  as  an  efficient  antidote,  which  has  led  Dr.  Spenzer  to  institute  a  series 
of  experiments  on  rabbits  and  dogs.  Cobalt  salts  appear  to  be  poisonous  in 
concentrated  solution  ;  one  gramme  in  a  five  per  cent,  solution  killed  a  rabbit 
in  seven  hours,  whereas  the  same  amount  in  a  one  per  cent,  solution  had  no 
bad  effect.  The  author  concludes  that  the  antidote  is  of  doubtful  practicability, 
for,  in  the  case  of  a  two  per  cent,  acid,  death  is  so  rapid  that  the  antidote 
should  be  close  at  hand  and  used  with  all  dispatch.  If  this  be  done,  it  will 
certainly  react  well  and  prove  to  be  the  nearest  to  an  ideal  antidote  yet  pro- 
posed. 
It  is  suggested  to  inject  20  to  30  c.c.  of  a  one-half  per  cent,  solution  subcu- 
taneously,  to  counteract  the  effect  of  the  poison  already  in  the  circulation,  and 
to  give  several  tumblerfuls  by  the  mouth  to  neutralize  any  of  the  poison  yet  in 
the  stomach. 
