Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1880. 
Varieties, 
325 
Pilocarpina. — Two  remarkable  observations  have  been  published  abroad  during 
5the  past  year  relative  to  the  use  of  pilocarpina.  In  one  case  a  patient  of  Dr.  Schmitz, 
of  Cologne,  previously  completely  bald,  after  three  injections  of  pilocarpina  began 
to  have  a  luxuriant  growth  of  hair,  and  at  the  end  of  four  months  had  a  dense  cover- 
ing for  the  head,  part  black,  in  color,  part  grizzled  and  part  white.  The  other  was 
reported  at  the  Ophthalmological  Congress  at  Amsterdam  last  September,  by  Dr. 
Coppez,  of  Brussels,  and  published  in  the  "Annales  d'Oculistique,"  September  and 
October,  1879.  The  patient,  suffering  from  serious  iritis  with  trouble  in  the  vitreous 
body,  received  three  injections  of  chloralhydrate  of  pilocarpina,  and  his  hair,  pre- 
viously white,  took  on  its  original  color  and  texture.  These  are  the  only  instances 
en  which  pilocarpina  may  be  presumed  to  have  had  this  effect,  and  the  question 
arises  whether  it  was  an  accidental  coincidence  or  the  result  of  the  drug. — Chicago 
Med.  Ga%.y  March  20,  i88c. 
Chloral  in  the  Vomiting  of  Pregnancy.— Dr.  Herzberg,  of  the  Berlin  Charite 
("  Berl.  Klin.  Woch."),  has  found  chloral  of  great  utility  in  vomiting  from  any 
cause,  and  in  some  affections,  as  gastralgia,  rapidly  effective.  In  this  paper  he  wishes 
to  call  attention  to  its  great  efficacy  in  the  vomiting  of  the  early  months  of  preg- 
nancy. He  always  uses  this  formula  :  Chloral,  ;  water,  100,  and  syrup  of  orange 
peel,  20  parts,  giving  a  spoonful  every  two  hours.  A  few  spoonfuls  suffice  to  stop 
the  vomiting  for  a  long  time.  If  after  some  days  it  returns  again,  a  recurrence  to 
the  remedy  entirely  removes  the  evil. — Louisville  Med.  Neivs,  March  13,  1880. 
Benzoate  of  Sodium  in  Diphtheria. — Dr.  Letzerich  has  successfully  treated,  with 
benzoate  of  sodium,  27  cases  of  diphtheria  which  came  under  his  care  during  an  epi- 
demic of  the  disease  in  Berlin.  Of  these  cases  eight  were  severe,  accompanied  by 
high  fever,  delirium,  setention  of  the  urine  and  feces,  existing  often  before  the 
-extensive  local  affection  had  made  its  appearance.  In  the  blood  there  was  found 
numerous  bacteria  and  plasma  corpuscles,  from  which,  by  cultivation  in  veal  broth, 
very  large  colonies  of  micrococci  became  developed.  The  dose  of  sodium  benzoate 
for  children  and  adults  is  to  be  regulated  by  the  weight  of  the  body.  The  formula 
for  infants  under  one  year  old  is 
R    Sodii  benzoat.  pur.,       .  .  .  ,  .  5-0 
Aquae  destillat.. 
Aquae  menth.  pip.,        .  .  .  ,  .ad  40-0 
Syrup,  cort.  aurant.,  .....  lo-o 
Half  teaspoonful  every  hour. 
The  dose  for  children  between  one  and  three  years  of  age  is  given  at  7  to  8  grams 
in  the  course  of  a  day  ;  for  children  between  three  and  seven  years,  8  to  10  grams, 
over  seven  years  old  10  to  15  grams,  to  be  taken  daily  5  no  unpleasant  effects  have 
been  observed  even  in  young  infants.  The  diphtheric  membrane  was  sprinkled 
with  the  benzoate  of  sodium  in  powder  applied  through  a  glass  tube  or  quill.  There 
is  no  slough  formed,  and  thereby  the  danger  is  averted  of  its  acting  as  a  firm  cover- 
ing under  which  an  energetic  development  and  growth  of  the  organism  can  take 
place. 
