336  Editorial.  {'"""A^.s^s"'"' 
Patents. — The  draft  of  a  patent  law  for  the  German  Empire  contains  a  claii^-e 
stipulating  that  no  patent  can  be  granted  for  alimentary  articles,  beverages  or 
medicines."  There  is  common  sense  in  such  a  proviso,  and  we  think  that  it  would 
do  our  country  no  harm  if  our  patent  laws  were  amended  in  this  particular  direc- 
tion. A  short  time  ago,  an  examiner  of  the  Patent  Office  reported  adversely  to  the 
granting  of  a  patent  for  a  medicinal  compound,  and  gave  excellent  reasons  for  his- 
position  ;  but,  if  we  mistake  not,  his  objections  were  overruled,  they  not  being  iu 
conformity  with  the  letter  of  the  law. 
New  Use  of  Acorns  — We  learn  from  the  Swiss  "  Pharmaceutical  Weekly,"" 
upon  the  authority  of  the  trade  report  of  Gehe  &  Co.,  that  during  several  years  past 
acorns  have  been  used  in  Germany,  in  large  quantities,  for  the  adulteration  of  black 
pepper.  The  acorns  are  turned  into  small  globes,  suitably  dyed  and  mixed  with 
true  pepper.  The  business  of  the  adulterator  is  apt  to  flourish,  and  to  secure  large 
profits  to  its  patrons  everywhere,  where  low  price  is  the  first  and  prime  consideration, 
in  the  purchase  of  any  commodity. 
Dangerous  Explosions. — In  the  May  number  of  this  Journal  we  alluded  to- 
some  explosive  mixtures  which  have  been  occasionally  prescribed,  and  our  readers 
are  doubtless  familiar  with  the  particulars  of  the  recent  explosion  in  a  Boston  drug 
store,  whereby  several  persons  were  killed  and  wounded,  and  considerable  damage 
done  to  property,  and  the  cause  of  which  will  probably  never  be  revealed.  It  is 
unnecessary  to  say  what  every  one  of  our  readers  know,  that  great  care  is  necessary 
to  avoid  such  dangerous  accidents  5  but  it  is  proper  that  attention  be  called  to  them^ 
more  particularly  when  the  combinati  ns  have  not  been  reported  before.  In  the 
following  cases,  recently  reported,  it  will  be  observed,  the  accidents  resulted  fron> 
the  combination  of  oxidizing  agents  with  substances  readily  combining  with  oxygen« 
with  the  elimination  of  gaseous  products,  as  we  pointed  out  on  page  233  of  this 
Journal : 
A  prescription  calling  for  8  grains  of  chromic  acid  and  i  drachm  of  glycerin  was 
prepared  by  dissolving  the  acid  in  a  little  water  in  the  vial,  and  agitating  the  solu- 
tion with  the  glycerin,  when  the  mixture  exploded  with  a  violent  detonation,  fortu- 
nately without  doing  any  damage  except  soiling  the  ceiling  of  the  store  ("Zeits. 
Ocster.  Ap.  Ver.,"  June  i). 
To  compound  a  prescription  for  5  grams  hypophosphite  of  calcium,  50  grams 
chlorate  of  potassium,  and  400  grams  of  distilled  water,  the  two  salts  were  triturated 
in  a  mortar,  when  they  exploded,  burning  the  operator  severely  upon  both  hands  and 
somewhat  in  the  face.  To  avoid  such  an  accident,  the  salts  should  be  dissolved  sep- 
arately in  water  and  the  solutions  mixed  ("  L'Union  Pharm.,"  May). 
James  S  Marsden  was  killed,  and  his  wife  severely  injured,  by  the  explosion  of 
an  iron  retort,  while  attempting  to  prepare  oxygen,  which  he  was  accustomed  to  do, 
both  professionally  and  as  an  amateur.  On  this  occasion  he  used  a  mixture  of  chlo- 
rate of  potassium  and  black  sulphuret  of  antimony,  the  latter  having  been  supplied 
to  him  in  place  of  black  oxide  of  manganese  ("Pharm.  Jour,  and  Transactions," 
April  10).  This  is  a  very  dangerous  mixture,  and  several  cases  of  severe  injury, 
resulting  from  its  accidental  use,  are  on  record. 
Correction. — Through  an  accidental  omission  in  the  foot  note  on  page  251  of 
the  June  number,  Mr.  Nickles  results  were  not  quoted  correctly.  Line  six,  from 
below,  should  read  as  follows  :  "  Ferric  hydrate,  ether  and  hydiiodic  acid,  yield, 
according  to  Nickles  (1865),  a  red  solution  which  is  not  precipitated  blue  by  ferrid- 
cyanide  of  potassium,  until  after  some  time,  and  we  may  add,"  &c. 
