316 
PHARMACEUTICAL  GLEANINGS. 
with  the  amylaceous  matter  of  rye  ergot,  either  in  regard  to  form, 
or  reaction  with  iodine. 
Ergotine  prepared  from  wheat  ergot  by  Bonjean's  process, 
is  different  in  characters  from  the  ordinary,  but  the  most  striking 
difference  between  the  two  is,  that  wheat  ergot  is  not  liable  to 
spoil  and  lose  its  efficacy  by  keeping,  as  is  the  case  with  rye 
ergot,  even  when  reduced  to  powder,  and  as  its  therapeutic  effects 
are  the  same  in  »all  circumstances,  M.  Grandclement  thinks  its 
use  promises  to  be  productive  of  advantage  to  practitioners. 
Action  of  picric  (carbazotic)  acid  on  the  economy  Dr.  Spring 
{Scalpel,  in  Jour,  de  Ohem.  Med.  Mai  1855,)  communicated  to 
the  Board  of  Health,  of  Liege,  as  the  result  of  his  experiments, 
that  picric  acid  is  an  acrid  poison,' which  possesses  an  action 
analogous  to  that  of  Anemone  pulsatilla,  of  creasote,  of  briony 
and  of  gratiola;  that  in  the  dose  of  3|  to  4|  grains  it  rapidly 
killed  a  rabbit,  and  that  evident  traces  of  inflammation  are  found 
in  the  digestive  apparatus  after  death.  Dr.  Spring  thinks  this 
agent  may  give  rise  to  serious  accidents. 
Syrup  of  Guaiac. — M.  Mouchon  (Bull.  Gen.  de  Therap.,) 
gives  several  formulae  for  preparations  of  guaiac  resin.  The  base 
of  these  is  a  tincture  made  with  one  part  of  guaiac  to  four  parts 
of  alcohol  (56  per  cent.)  by  displacement.  To  make  the  syrup 
of  guaiac,  half  a  pound  of  this  tincture  is  mixed  with  a  pound 
of  syrup  of  gum  arabic,  and  the  alcohol  distilled  or  evaporated 
off  till  the  syrup  weighs  one  pound. 
Thus  obtained,  syrup  of  guaiac  is  very  homogeneous,  owing 
to  the  emulsionizing  effect  of  the  gum  in  suspending  the  resinous 
particles. 
New  Hemostatic  agent  M.  Monsel,  military  pharmacien, 
(Cfaz.  Med.  de  Paris,  in  Jour,  de  Chim.  M.,)  suggests  the  fol- 
lowing solution  as  an  efficient  means  of  checking  haemorrhage  : 
Take  of  Tannic  acid,  a  scruple. 
Alum,  (free  from  iron)       five  drachms. 
Rose  water,  twenty-five  ounces. 
Dissolve.  This  solution  also  possesses  a  remarkable  antiseptic 
power  on  the  blood  with  which  it  comes  in  contact. 
Double  salt  of  Quinia  and  Iron  M.  Langeli  (Presse  Med. 
Beige.)  has  prepared  a  salt  which  he  believes  is  a  double  salt  of 
protoxide  of  iron  and  quinia  with  sulphuric  acid.    It  is  made  by 
