26o      Selections  from  Banish  Archives/,  Pharm,  {^"j^erxsj^s"'"' 
of  a  bottle  containing  a  solution  of  atropiae  sulphas  (1:30),  which  hap- 
pened (contrary  to  the  poison-law)  to  stand  next  to  a  solution  of 
chloral  hydrate  (1:2)  ;  consequently  he  took  10  grms.  atropia  solution 
(which  would  be  equal  to  5  grms.  chloral  hydrate,  if  he  had  taken  the 
right  bottle),  so  the  mixture  contained  33J  centigrams  sulphate  of  atro- 
pia. The  mistake  was  first  discovered  the  next  morning  by  the  clerk 
himself,  who  immediately  notified  the  physician.  The  patient,  by  the 
prompt  exhibition  of  appropriate  remedies,  recovered  in  two  days  ;  he 
had  only  swallowed  one  tablespoonful,  equal  to  about  8  centigrams. 
Administration  of  Nitrous  Oxide  Gas. — A  dentist,  who  has  studied 
dentistry  and  received  a  diploma  in  Philadelphia,  applied  to  the  Board 
of  Health  (Copenhagen)  for  permission  to  practice  dentistry  and  ad- 
minister nitrous  oxygen  gas.  He  was  permitted  to  practice  ;  but  as  to 
the  gas,  he  was  not  at  all  permitted  to  make  it,  nor  to  administer  it, 
unless  in  the  presence  of  an  authorized  physician. 
Female  Assistants. — By  ordinance  of  January  15th,  1875,  permissior^ 
was  given  to  N.  N.'s  wife  to  pass  .examination  as  assistant  (Physicat- 
Examen).     I  believe  this  to  be  the  first  instance  in  Denmark. 
Sarepta  Mustard.,  by  H.  Haurowiz. — Its  unrivalled  quality  is  chiefly 
due  to  its  careful  preparation.  The  plant  grows  in  dry,  clayey  soil^ 
requires  but  little  moisture  and  can  stand  a  hot  sun.  The  seed  is  sown 
in  spring  and  harvested  in  the  month  of  August,  when  it  is  dried  in  the 
sun,  shelled  and  winnowed.  The  seeds  are  ground  with  a  runner 
(drug-mill  fashion),  and  the  flour,  packed  in  canvass-bags,  is  exposed 
for  a  certain  time  to  steam,  after  which  the  oil  is  expressed.  The  care 
with  which  this  part  of  the  process  is  conducted  is,  in  the  opinion  of 
the  manufacturers,  the  real  secret  to  its  superior  quality.  In  order  to 
deprive  the  seeds  as  much  as  possible  of  the  oil,  only  small  quantities 
at  a  time  (say  6-8  pounds)  are  expressed.  The  meal-cakes  form  bricks 
of  by  2j  by  i  inches,  and  are  ground  fine  when  large  quantities 
have  been  collected.  The  different  numbers  refer  to  different  degrees 
of  fineness.  The  yield  is  stated  to  be  :  i  bushel  generally  gives  6c 
bushels  of  seed  ;  9  pounds  of  seed  give  i  pound  of  oil. 
Russian  Cure  for  Drunkenness.,  by  H.  Haurowiz. — For  some  time 
past  Herba  serpylli  (wild  thyme)  has  been  used  with  great  success  to 
effect  a  permanent  cure  of  drunkenness  :  in  case  of  a  relapse  (only 
after  years),  a  short  treatment  will  effect  a  cure  again.  The  treatment 
consists  in  making  an  infusion  of  wild  thyme  (ij  oz.  to  ij  pints),  and 
