Am  jour  Pharm. )    Medical  and  Pharmaceutical  Notes. 
April,  1921.  J 
291 
rusting."  That  such  inaccurate  statements  should  be  made  by 
famous  surgical  experts  he  finds  quite  pardonable,  since  (>de  mini- 
mis non  curat  prcetor,"  but  does  not  think  that  such  nonsense  should 
be  perpetuated  in  the  smaller  text  books  destined  for  the  use  of 
nurses.  He  asserts  that  neither  sodium  carbonate  nor  sodium 
bicarbonate  will  prevent  the  rusting  of  instruments.  It  is  the  car- 
bon dioxide  in  the  water  that  causes  the  instruments  to  rust.  Neither 
sodium  carbonate  nor  sodium  bicarbonate  combines  with  the  car- 
bonic acid  of  the  water.  In  order  to  prevent  the  rusting  of  instru- 
ments 2.5  gm.  of  sodium  hydroxide  (NaOH)  should  be  added  to 
1000  gm.  of  water.  The  sodium  hydroxide  should  be  allowed  two 
minutes  in  which  to  dissolve  and  to  combine  with  the  carbonic  acid 
of  the  water,  before  the  instruments  are  put  in  the  solution. 
(Zentralblatt  fiir  Chirngie,  Leipzig,  through  Journ.  Amer.  Med. 
Assoc.,  February  19,  1921.) 
Benzyl  Benzoate  in  Pediatric  Practice. — Ruhrah  states 
that  benzyl  benzoate  may  be  used  in  place  of  atropine  wherever  a 
relaxing  effect  is  desired  on  spasm  of  smooth  muscle.  He  recom- 
mends it  in  bronchial  asthma,  spasmodic  bronchitis,  gastric  or  intes- 
tinal colic,  hiccough  and  spasmodic  constipation.  In  whooping- 
cough,  he  says,  its  action  is  often  most  beneficial,  but  the  results 
are  uncertain,  as  is  the  case  with  all  other  antispasmodics  in  this 
disease.  In  general  convulsive  conditions  not  dependent  on  organic 
lesions  of  the  central  nervous  system,  especially  in  the  new-born, 
the  drug  is  of  benefit.  (From  Amer.  Jour,  of  Med.  Sciences,  Phila., 
through  Jour.  Amer.  Med.  Assoc.,  Feb.  12,  192 1.) 
Picric  Acid  in  Operative  Surgery. — Picric  acid,  Farr  says, 
is  ideal  as  a  skin  application  preceding  operation  in  that  it  never 
irritates  and  that  it  remains  in  the  skin  for  a  long  period  of  time. 
Its  only  drawback  is  its  rather  startling  color,  which  may  annoy 
sensitive  patients  when  exposed  surfaces  are  stained.  From  the 
clinical  standpoint,  Farr's  results  compare  very  favorably  with  those 
formerly  obtained  with  iodine  and  with  the  older  methods  of  skin 
preparation.  (From  Annals  of  Surgery,  Phila.,  through  Jour. 
Amer.  Med.  Assoc.,  Feb.  12,  1921.) 
Acriflavine  Treatment  of  Gonorrhea. — The  technic  em- 
ployed by  Mann  is  that  of  Watson,  who  uses  a  1  : 4000  solution  of 
acriflavine  in  physiologic  sodium  chloride  solution,  at  body  tern- 
