154 
Varieties. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm . 
t      Mar.,  1883. 
dermic  morphia  or  atropine,  or  surgical  procedures.  The  drug  will,  per- 
haps, be  useful  against  sea-sickness,  taken  every  two  hours  from  tiie  time 
of  sailing.  In  one  case — the  only  one  tried — it  appeared  to  have  a  good 
effect. — Philip  Miall^  in  Brit.  Med.  Jour. ;  Cinci.  Lancet  and  Clinic,  Jan. 
13,  1883. 
New  Tests  fok  the  Detection  of  Albumen  in  Ukine. — Dr.  George 
Johnson,  F.E,  S.,  of  London,  is  now  using  'picric  acid  for  the  detection  of 
albumen  in  the  urine.  The  test  was  suggested  to  him  by  his  son,  Mr.  G. 
Stillingfleet  Johnson,  who  has  long  labored  at  chemical  research,  and 
believes  that  the  test  is  free  from  fallacy.  A  saturated  solution  of  picric  acid 
has  a  specific  gravity  of  1,003,  and  immediately  coagulates  any  trace  of 
albumen  which  may  be  present  in  the  urine  to  which  it  is  added.  The 
delicacy  of  the  test  is  strikingly  demonstrated  when  slightly  albuminous 
urine  is  poured  on  to  the  surface  of  nitric  acid,  and  the  picric  acid  solution 
is  added  on  the  surface  of  the  urine.  An  obvious  advantage  of  the  test,  is 
that  the  jjowdered  picric  acid  may  be  so  conveniently  and  safely  carried  in 
the  pocket,  ready  for  the  immediate  and  efficient  examination  of  any  urine 
suspected  of  being  albuminous.  It  is  only  necessary  to  throw  some  of  the 
powder  into  the  suspected  urine  while  it  is  warm,  and  to  agitate  slightly,  in 
order  to  produce  an  obvious  cloudiness,  if  any  albumen  be  present. — Boston 
Medical  and  Surgical  Journal^  Nov.  9,  1882. 
In  the  "  Zeitschrift  f.  Analyt.  Chem.,"  xxi,  p.  301,  Dr.  A.  Raabe  men- 
tions the  following  new  reaction  for  albumen.  To  the  well-filtered  urine, 
contained  in  a  narrow  reaction  tube,  a  small  piece  of  crystallized  trichlor- 
acetic acid  is  added.  This  is  gradually  dissolved  on  the  bottom  of  the  tube^ 
and  there,  where  the  two  fluids  come  into  contact  with  each  other,  when 
albumen  is  present,  a  turbid  zone,  clearly  visible  and  sharply  confined. 
Normal  urine,  according  to  Raabe,  gives  no  similar  reaction,  only  if  urates 
are  present,  in  very  large  quantity,  a  weakly  turbid  condition  follows,  but 
this  is  not  confined  as  mentioned,  but  spreads  all  over  the  fluid.  Further,, 
if  the  urine  is  heated,  this  turbidity,  due  to  urates,  disappears  immediately, 
while  such  is  not  the  case  with  the  turbid  ring  caused  by  reaction  of 
trichlor-acetic  acid  on  albumen  in  the  urine.  Raabe  considers  the  latter 
reaction  as  far  more  sensitive  and  reliable  than  the  one  with  nitric,  or 
even  with  metaphosphoric  acid.  In  doubtful  cases,  especially,  it  would  be 
of  great  service. — Med.  and  Surg.  Reporter,  Dec.  9,  1882. 
Emklic  Mykoboeans  as  a  Laxativp:. — The  editor  of  the  "British 
Medical  Journal "  calls  attention  to  a  remedy,  well  known  as  an  efficient 
laxative  in  Eastern  countries,  viz. :  Emblic  myrobolans,  received  from 
Mr.  Martindale,  and  recently  imported  from  India.  It  is  the  fruit  preserved 
in  sugar  of  Emhlica  officinalis,  or  Phyllanthus  emhlica.  It  is  an  euphor- 
biaceous  tree;  and  the  fruit  which  is  about  the  size  of  an  olive,  or  perhaps, 
somewhat  larger,  contains  a  hard  angular  seed.  Several  species  of  myro- 
balans  were  formerly  used  in  medicine;  and  an  old  writer  says  "they 
restore  youth,  improve  the  complexion,  the  breath  and  the  perspiration, 
and  impart  joy  and  hilarity."    It  is  not  alleged  that  this  particular  species 
