368  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  {Am  ju°iy|i892arm* 
The  ancesthetic  properties  of  cocaine  disappear,  according  to  A. 
Bignon  {Bull.  gen.  Th'erap.,  Feb.,  1892,  170),  and  remain  latent  in 
acid  solution,  but  reappear  on  neutralizing  the  free  acid,  and  attain 
their  maximum  intensity  upon  rendering  the  liquid  slightly 
alkaline.  The  author  prefers  the  use  of  what  he  calls  milk  of  cocaine, 
which  is  prepared  by  dissolving  the  hydrochloride  or  other  salt  of 
cocaine,  and  adding  a  very  slight  excess  of  sodium  carbonate. 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
By  Frank  X.  Moerk,  Ph.G. 
Glycerin  Suppositories.-—  A.  Thumann  states  that  when  these  were 
first  prescribed,  they  were  intended  to  be  made  of  glycerin  and 
cacao-butter,  but  owing  to  the  belief  of  some  pharmacists  that  the 
two  were  not  miscible  the  numerous  recipes  followed  in  which  soap, 
gelatin  and  other  substances  were  incorporated.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  has  made  a  desirable  product  which  melts  at  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  body  and  keeps  without  change.  The  cacao-butter  is 
melted  at  3  2-3  5 0  and  agitated  in  a  prescription  vial  with  an  equal 
weight  of  glycerin  also  warmed  until  the  mixture  begins  to  solidify 
when  it  is  poured  into  paper  moulds. — Journal  der  Pharm.  v.  tlsass- 
Lothringen,  1892,  121. 
Epidermin. — Under  this  name  a  surgical  dressing  which,  by  evapo- 
ration, leaves  an  elastic  film  is  introduced ;  a  similar  preparation 
is  made  by  melting  15  parts  white  wax  and  triturating  in  a  warm 
iron  mortar  with  15  parts  powdered  acacia  until  a  uniform  mass 
results;  to  this  is  then  added  a  boiling  mixture  of  15  parts  each 
distilled  water  and  glycerin  and  the  mixture  stirred  until  cold.  Any 
medicinal  agent  to  be  incorporated  with  epidermin  should  be  rubbed 
up  with  glycerin. —  Oesterr.  Ztschr.  f  Pharm.,  1892,  271. 
Atomic  weight  of  copper. — Thos.  W.  Richards,  from  two  series  of 
investigations,  concludes  that  the  atomic  weight  should  be  some- 
what higher  than  the  figure  accepted  at  the  present  time  and  finds 
it  to  be  63*604  (0=i6)  or  63-44  (0—15-96). — [Ztschr.  anorgan. 
Chem.)  Chem.  Ztg.  Repert.,  1892,  165. 
Saprol,  also  called  disinfection-oil,  consists  of  a  mixture  of  crude 
cresols  containing  considerable  quantities  of  pyridine  bases  and  hy- 
drocarbons which  presumably  are  obtained  from  a  petroleum  refinery 
