468  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  {AmsTep"r:iffearm' 
Olive  oil. — Of  12  samples  of  olive  oil  examined  at  Montpellier  in 
1 89 1,  4  were  found  to  be  pure,  4  to  be  mixtures  with  other  oils,  and 
4  to  be  olive  oil  in  name  only.  In  the  same  report  (Rev.  intemat.  d. 
Falsi/.,  May,  1892)  it  is  stated  that  the  average  quality  of  wine  as 
well  as  milk  has  slightly  improved  during  the  same  year. 
Estimation  of  caffei?ie  in  tea. — After  examining  a  number  of 
methods  for  the  assay  of  tea,  many  of  which  yield  the  alkaloid  more 
or  less  colored,  Cazeneuve  and  Bietrix  recommend  (Repert.  de  Phar., 
May)  the  following,  which  yields  the  maximum  amount  of  caffeine 
almost  colorless  :  The  alkaloid  is  liberated  by  lime,  extracted  with 
chloroform,  the  chloroformic  solution  evaporated,  the  residue  treated 
with  boiling  water  in  the  presence  of  a  little  animal  charcoal,  and 
the  filtrate  concentrated  upon  the  water-bath. 
Flavoring  of  tea. — Java  teas,  which  are  of  no  value  for  exporta- 
tion, are  being  improved  in  flavor  by  the  flowers  of  Jasminum  Sam- 
bac,  Aiton,  Aglaia  odorata,  Lour.,  and  Gardenia  pictorum,  Hassk. 
According  to  Rev.  internat.  des  Falsif,  an  industry  has  been  started 
at  Cheribon,  Java,  to  prepare  such  teas  in  imitation  of  Chinese  tea. 
Dose  of  digitalis. — In  a  paper  read  before  the  Academie  royale 
de  Medecine  de  Belgique  (Proce  s-verbal,  April,  1892),  Dr.  Masius 
shows  that  in  doses  generally  considered  as  hypertoxic,  digitalis 
may  be  taken  not  only  without  inconvenience,  but  that  such  mas- 
sive doses  will  surely  and  rapidly  prevent  the  dangers  arising  from 
cardiac  weakness  and  from  a  high  temperature.  Administered  in 
the  dose  of  4  grams  in  twenty-four  hours,  digitalis  acts  as  a  heart 
tonic,  improves  its  energy,  regulates  pulsation  and,  therefore,  com- 
bats veinous  stagnation,  oedema,  dyspnoea,  symptoms  resulting  from 
cardiac  insufficiency ;  it  reduces  the  febrile  temperature,  bringing  it 
back  to  the  normal,  and  in  the  absence  of  fever  exerts  no  effect 
upon  the  temperature.  The  paralytic  action  of  the  heart  is  not  to 
be  feared,  though  such  large  doses  of  digitalis  neither  arrest  pneu- 
monia nor  shorten  its  course,  as  has  been  stated  to  be  done  by 
Prof.  Petresco.    (See  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,  July,  1892,  p.  367.) 
Euphorbia  antiquorum,  Linne. — J.  Santos  Fernandez  of  Havana 
[Revista  de  Cienc.  med.,  April)  has  observed  sixteen  cases  of  inflam- 
mation of  the  cornea  and  conjunctiva  resulting  from  having  come 
into  contact  with  the  milk  juice  of  this  plant ;  the  appearance  of 
the  organs  was  similar  to  that  produced  by  burned  lime  or  boiling 
