568 
Medical  and  Pharmaceutical  Notes.    j^uguJi  wa"1' 
MEDICAL  AND  PHARMACEUTICAL 
NOTES 
Formaline  in  Urine. — Dr.  E.  Pittarelli  (Lancet,  II.,  1920,  p. 
1267)  recently  described  a  test  for  formaline  in  urine.  The  practical 
application  is  as  follows:  To  25-30  cc.  of  urine  (acid  or  made  acid) 
10-12  drops  of  a  i.per  cent,  solution  of  phenylhydrazine  is  added  and 
the  mixture  heated  to  boiling.  After  a  few  minutes  5-6  drops  of  a 
I  per  cent,  solution  of  metol  and  3-4  drops  of  a  25  per  cent,  solution 
of  caustic  soda  are  added,  when  a  crimson  color  is  produced,  which, 
on  the  addition  of  magnesic  salt,  assumes  a  decided  purple  color. 
The  crimson  is  stated  to  be  appreciable  to  a  1  in  100,000  solution  of 
formalin,  and  the  purple  tint  increases  the  sensibility  still  further. — 
Through  Chem.  and  Drug.,  June,  192 1. 
Treatment  of  Poison  Oak  Dermatitis.  —  Alderson  and 
Pruett  report  thirty-four  cases  in  which  treatment  consisted  of  the 
injection  of  1  cc.  poison  oak  extract  into  the  gluteus  or  deltoid. 
Almost  invariably  one  intramuscular  injection  is  followed  by  great 
relief  of  the  local  symptoms ;  swelling  and  itching  particularly  begin 
to  subside  within  twenty-four  hours.  There  is  not  much  local  irrita- 
tion as  a  rule,  but  at  times  where  some  of  the  fluid  has  worked  its 
way  along  the  track  of  the  needle,  a  painful  indurated  nodule  ap- 
pears and  is  slow  in  subsiding.  Some  of  the  patients  seem  to  have 
become  immune. — Col.  State  Journ.  of  Med.,  through  Jonrn.  A.  M. 
A.,  June,  1 92 1. 
Preparation  of  Sterile  Iodoform  Emulsions. — According  to 
Blomberg,  sterile  and  stable  iodoform  emulsions  may  be  made  by 
the  following  method:  Cover  two  portions  (60  and  40  gm.)  of  iodo- 
form with  20  and  25  cc.  respectively  of  an  ethyl  alcohol  and  ether 
mixture  containing  4  parts  of  ether  to  1  of  alcohol.  Let  this  mixture 
stand  in  the  dark  for  12  hours  and  then  evaporate  in  a  vacuum  desic- 
cator. Dissolve  the  40  gm.  portion  in  a  liter  of  sterile  olive  oil  at 
55°  C.  Grind  the  60  gm.  portion  as  finely  as  possible  in  a  sterile  mor- 
tar. Add  it  to  the  solution  and  shake  thoroughly.  No  crystalline 
iodoform  will  precipitate  from  this  emulsion. — Pharm.  Weekblad, 
through  Chem.  Abs. 
