Am.  Jour.  Pharm, 
Aug.,  1880. 
Varieties, 
of  jaborandi  were  u.sed  ;  the  latter  is  prepared  by  dissolving  18  parts  of  sugar  in  an 
infusion  of  jaborandi  leaves,  3  parts,  in  water  15  parts.  A  dose  for  an  adult  is  two 
or  three  tablespoonfuls,  for  children  one  or  two  teaspoonfuls.  After  the  dose  the 
patient  was  always  wrapped  up  in  blankets  for  two  or  three  hours^  The  salivation 
and  other  well-known  effects  of  pilocarpin  accompany  the  sweating,  which  seems  so- 
valuable  to  the  pruriginous  patients.  Prof.  Simon  has  not  found  pilocarpin  of  use 
in  other  skin  affections. — Ibid. 
Oleate  of  Lead  in  Eczema. — James  Sawyer,  M.D.,  writes  in  the  "British  Medi- 
cal Journal":  After  I  had  used  for  several  months,  both  in  hospital  and  in  private 
practice,  the  ointment  of  oleate  of  zinc  (for  which  the  profession  is  indebted  to  Dr. 
Crocker,  and  which  is  certainly  one  of  the  best  local  remedies  for  eczema),  I  ex- 
pressed my  testimony  in  its  favor  in  the  issue  of  this  journal  for  April  19,  1879. 
Thinking  an  oleate  with  lead  for  the  base  instead  of  zinc  would  be  likely  to  prove 
a  serviceable  alternative  application  in  eczema,  especially  when  the  soothing  effects 
of  lead  might  be  desired,  I  asked  Messrs.  Southall,  of  Birmingham,  to  make  for  me 
an  ointment  of  oleate  of  lead.  After  a  series  of  experiments  they  produced  an 
excellent  preparation  according  to  the  following  formula:  Lead  oleate,  24  parts ^ 
heavy  and  inodorus  paraffin  oil,  14  parts.  The  lead  oleate  is  prepared  by  heating  a 
mixture  of  oleic  acid  and  oxide  of  lead.  After  using  it  for  many  months  I  can 
recommend  this  ointment  as  a  very  efficient  local  remedy  in  eczema. — Louisville 
Med.  Neivs,  June  19,  j88o. 
A  New  Disinfectant. —  A  new  disinfectant  has  been  introduced  in  Australia^ 
composed  of  one  part  of  rectified  oil  of  turpentine  and  seven  parts  of  benzin,  with 
five  drops  of  oil  of  verbena  to  each  ounce  of  the  mixture.  Its  purifying  and  disin- 
fecting properties  are  due  to  the  power  possessed  by  its  ingredients  of  generating 
peroxide  of  hydrogen  or  ozone.  Articles  of  clothing,  furniture,  wall-paper,  books 
and  papers  may  be  saturated  with  it  without  damage.  When  it  has  once  been  freely 
applied  to  any  rough  or  porous  surface  it!?  action  persists  for  an  almost  indefinite 
period.  This  may  be  shown  readily  at  any  time  by  putting  a  few  drops  of  a  solution 
of  iodide  of  potassium  on  the  surface  which  has  been  disinfected,  when  the  ozone, 
which  is  being  continually  generated,  will  quickly  liberate  the  iodine  from  its  com- 
bination with  the  potassium,  giving  rise  to  a  yellow  discoloration,  or  a  blue  if  boiled 
starch  has  been  added  to  the  iodide  of  potassium  solution. — Ibid,  June  12,  1880. 
Inhalations  of  Benzoate  of  Ammonium  in  Pulmonary  Phthisis. — Dr.  Wagner, 
of  Buda  Pcsth,  writes,  in  "  Med.  Chir.  Centralblatt,"  that  he  prefers  this  salt  to  the 
benzoate  of  sodium,  on  account  of  its  being  more  volatile,  and  thus  capable  of 
penetrating  deeper  into  the  smaller  bronchioles  than  the  latter,  and  also  because  it 
decomposes  easier,  leaving  free  benzoic  acid,  the  anti  bacterial  effect  of  which  is 
greater  than  that  of  either  of  its  salts.  He  lets  his  patients  inhale  until  a  burning 
sensation  is  produced  in  the  chest,  when  the  breathing  becomes  less  labored,  the 
cough  easier  and  the  appetite  increases. — T/ie  Medical  Press  and  Circular. — Cinciti- 
nati  Lancet  and  Clinic,  July  3,  1880. 
