Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
July,  1883.  1 
New  Ancesthetlcs 
373 
The  conversion  into  peptone  ceases  after  boiling  the  milk^  but  is  not 
interfered  with  by  the  addition  of  salicylic  or  carbolic  acid. —  Chem. 
Cent.  Bl,  1883,  p.  246.    Pflug.  Archiv. 
The  Effect  of  Chemicals  on  the  reaction  of  Diastase  upon  Starch  has 
been  studied  by  Professor  W.  Detmer,  who  observed  that  the  con- 
version of  starch  is  greatly  accelerated  by  the  presence  of  carbonic 
acid.  Minute  quantities  of  citric  acid  ('OOOl  to  '005  gm.  added  to 
25  cc.  of  1  per  cent,  starch  paste  and  5  cc.  malt  infusion)  have  like- 
wise an  accelerating  effect,  increasing  with  the  amount  of  acid,  until  a 
certain  percentage  is  reached  beyond  which  the  process  becomes  more 
sluggish,  and  by  still  larger  amounts  of  acid  is  entirely  suspended. 
Analogous  effects  were  likewise  observed  with  phosphoric  and  hydro- 
chloric acid ;  but  a  relatively  large  proportion  of  carbolic  acid  may  be 
added,  without  materially  affecting  the  formation  of  sugar,  which  is 
prevented,  however,  by  an  excess  of  the  compound  mentioned.  An 
extremely  faint  alkaline  reaction  diminishes  the  conversion  of  starch, 
and  a  few  drops  of  concentrated  solution  of  potassa  prevents  it  entirely; 
but  in  the  presence  of  a  large  pro]3ortion  of  starch  paste  and  at  an  ele- 
vated summer  temperature,  the  mixture  often  acquires  an  acid  reaction 
through  the  influence  of  numerous  schizomycetes.  The  chemicals 
mentioned  above,  without  the  presence  of  diastase,  do  not  produce  the 
conversion  of  starch  in  the  same  time  in  which  the  ferment  effects  it 
coQipletely. 
A  very  convenient  test  for  ascertaining  the  progress  of  this  process 
is  found  in  the  behavior  of  iodine  solution,  which  colors  unaltered 
starch  paste,  blue ;  but  as  the  conversion  into  sugar  proceeds,  the  addi- 
tion of  iodine  will  successively  cause  a  violet,  dark  red,  yellowish  red, 
and  finally,  scarcely  any  coloration. — Zeitschr.  Physiol.  Chem.  vii.  1-6. 
(See,  also,  Am.  Jour.  Phar.,  1883,  292-296.) 
New  Amestlietics. — Dr.  V.  Meriiig,  at  the  recent  meeting  of  German 
Naturalists  and  Physicians,  reported  his  experiments  with  two  new  anses- 
thetics:  diethylacetal  and  dimethylacetat.  The  former  has  a  burning, 
pungent  taste,  the  latter  a  disagreeable  smell  and  taste.  Both  produce  nar- 
cosis very  rapidly  in  frogs  and  rabbits.  There  is  slowing  of  the  heartbeat, 
and  finally  weakening  of  the  respiration.  In  inhalation  they  act  much 
like  chloroform.  Mering  gave  the  diethylacetal  to  some  criminals  and 
found  that  it  acted  very  well,  producing  narcosis  with  no  bad  after-effects. 
^outh.  Med.  Rec.  1883,  p.  29. 
