Varieties,  169 
tia.  The  author  also  confirms  tlie  observations  of  Dr.  Hoelder  as  to  the  value  of 
the  balsam  in  rheumatism. — Memorahilien^  1879. 
Glycyrrhizin  is  believed,  by  F.  Sestini,  to  exist  in  liquorice  root  in  combination 
with  bases,  chiefly  lime.  It  is  best  prepared  by  exhausting  the  root  with  boiling 
water  and  a  little  lime,  concentrating  the  decoction  and  precipitating  with  acetic 
acid.  The  brownish  gelatinous  precipitate  is  washed  with  water,  dissolved  in  spirit 
of  50  per  cent.,  the  solution  decolorized  by  animal  charcoal  and  evaporated  until 
the  alcohol  is  expelled.  The  gelantinous  mass  is  dissolved  in  alcohol,  the  solution 
mixed  with  twice  its  volume  of  ether,  filtered,  evaporated  and  the  residue  dried  over 
sulphuric  acid.  Fresh  root,  containing  48  per  cent,  of  water,  yields  S'iyi  per  cent, 
-of  glycyrrhizin,  or  6-318  on  the  dry  root. — Jour.  Chem.  Soc.^  Sept.,  1879. 
Oil  of  Rosemary  consists,  according  to  Bruylants,  of  about  80  per  cent,  of  a 
iasvogyrate  hydrocarbon,  C^gH^g,  boiling  near  i6o"C.5  6  to  8  per  cent,  of  camphor, 
C^gH^gO,  melting  at  176°  and  boiling  at  204°C.5  and  of  4  to  5  per  cent,  of  a  borneol 
camphor,  C^QH^gO.  With  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  a  mixture  of  cymene  and 
terpene  is  obtained. — Ibid. 
For  burns  and  scalds,  the  "  Allg.  Hopfen-Zeitung  "  says,  one  of  the  best  but 
least  known  agents  is  oil  of  peppermint.  Applied  by  pencil  or  cloth  to  the  wound, 
it  gives  prompt  ease  from  pain  and  leads  to  a  rapid  cure  without  scars.  This  oil 
should  always  be  kept  on  hand.  Previous  to  its  application  the  burnt  part  may  be 
kept  under  water.  It  is  sometimes  advisable  to  dilute  it  one-half  with  glycerin. 
In  this  form  it  is  an  excellent  application  to  frozen  extremities. — Allgemeine  Wiener 
Zeitung,  No.  i,  1880,  from  Cinci.  Lane,  and  Clinic,  Feb.  14. 
Menthol,  an  Anti-Neuralgic. — Mr.  A.  D.  Macdonald,  writing  in  the  "  Edin- 
burgh Medical  Journal,"  September,  1879,  extols  the  virtues  of  this  substance, 
which  is  a  volatile  solid  obtained  from  Chinese  or  American  oil  of  peppermint,  as  a 
remedy  in  the  various  forms  of  neuralgia.  The  solution  he  uses  is  the  following: 
Menthol  gr.  ij  spt.  vin.  rect.  TT)^  i  ;  ol.  caryoph.  TT\^  x:  mix.  To  be  shaken,  and 
painted  over  the  aff'ected  tract.  Pain  is  in  this  way  relieved  in  from  two  to  four 
minutes,  and  within  a  minute  or  two  more  the  attack  ceases.  In  toothache  the 
author  has  cleaned  out  the  cavity  of  the  tooth  with  a  little  cotton  wool,  and  then 
placed  a  single  crystal  on  another  small  piece  of  wool  and  inserted  it,  with  the  result 
that  the  pain  instantly  disappeared.  A  tincture  of  strength  1*50  is  equally  effective. 
Mr.  Macdonald  recommends  menthol  as  a  suitable  external  application  in  sciatica, 
intercostal  neuralgia  and  brachialgia. — Phila.  Med.  limes^  Jan.  3. 
Alcohol  and  Chlorinated  Lime. — One  part  of  absolute  alcohol  and  4  or  5  parts 
of  chlorinated  lime  form  a  mixture  which  becomes  spontaneously  heated  in  about 
10  minutes,  when  aldehyd,  acetal  derivatives,  alcohol  and  a  greenish-yellow  oil, 
probably  ethyl-hy poclilorite,  distil  over.  The  latter  compound  is  rapidly  decom- 
posed, yielding,  among  other  products,  a  heavy  oil,  insoluble  in  water,  froin  which, 
on  fractional  distillation,  are  obtained  various  chlorinated  compounds  boiling  below 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm 
Mar.,  1880. 
