AmMayM>92arm'}  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  231 
diminished  under  the  influence  of  kola  nut.  (3)  The  extract  has 
the  same  action  as  the  powdered  nut.  (4)  Kola  red  has  a  slightly 
marked  action  on  the  elimination  of  nitrogenous  bodies  or  of 
phosphates;  it  is  similar  to  that  of  the  powdered  nut.  (5)  Caffeine 
has  an  action  analogous  to  that  of  the  powdered  kola,  but  is  inferior 
to  this  .    (6)  Kola  can  be  regarded  as  a  moderator  of  denutrition. 
Physiological  action  of  caffeine  and  allied  compounds. — Professor 
Dario  Baldi  gives  in'  Terapia  moderna,  December,  1 891,  the  follow- 
ing summary  of  results  obtained  by  his  experiments:  (1)  Caffeine 
in  small  doses  increases  muscular- excitability  in  dogs  and  frogs.  (2) 
Xanthine  has  no  action  in  this  direction,  but  determines  in  the  mus- 
cles the  cadaveric  rigidity  .almost  to  the  same  degree  as  caffeine. 
(3)  Allantoine  does  not  increase  spinal  excitability ;  but  elevates- 
muscular  excitability  in  the  frog,  and  determines  cadaveric  rigidity 
nearly  the  same  as  xanthine.  (4)  Alloxanthinc  does  not  increase 
either  spinal  or  muscular  excitability,  arid  in  the  frog  does  not 
determine  rigidity.  (5)  The  spinal  and  muscular  hyperexcitability, 
produced  by  caffeine,  is  due  to  the  methyl  groups  attached  to  the 
xanthine  nucleus;  but  the  cadaveric  rigidity  is  due  to  the  xanthine 
liberated  in  the  organism  — Revue  internal.,  Feb.,  1892. 
Effect  of  pilocarpine  upon  milk. — Experimenting  on  cows,  C.  Cor- 
nevin  observed  (Compt.  rend.,  Soc.  biol.,  1 891),  that  the  quantity  of 
milk  is  not  increased  by  pilocarpine,  but  that  the  proportion  of  milk 
sugar  is  slightly  augmented, 
Preservation  of  fruit  juices. — Dhamelincourt  reports  [four.  Phar. 
Cliim.,  December,  1891,  p.  501)  having  obtained  excellent  results 
in  the  following  way  :  The  clarified  juice  is  heated  to  boiling  in  a 
copper  vessel  and  then  poured  into  a  dish.  Meanwhile  the  bottles 
are  provided  with  stoppers,  and  are  then  gradually  filled,  a  space  of 
about  two  centimeters  in  the  neck  being  left  empty  ;  some  alcohol 
is  then  poured  upon  the  hot  liquid,  and  the  bottle  is  quickly  stop- 
pered, the  cork  being  further  secured  as  the  liquid  cools.  The 
alcohol  which  evaporates  into  the  empty  space,  is  sufficient  for  the 
preservation  of  the  liquid.  The  juices  of  fresh  herbs  may  be  pre- 
served in  the  same  manner. 
Poisoning  by  acid  potassium  oxalate. — A  case  of  attempted  suicide 
is  reported  in  La  Clinique,  Brussels,  January,  1892,  p.  33,  in  which 
the  patient's  life  was  probably  saved  by  the  large  dose,  24  gm.  of 
