Am'octu^t&Tm-}  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  515 
ABSTRACTS  FROM  THE  FRENCH  JOURNALS. 
Translated  for  The  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy. 
Decoction  of  Vaccinium  Vitis-idcea  in  rheumatism. — In  1887,  Dr. 
Sanine  proposed  the  use  of  the  cowberry  plant,  Vaccinium  Vitis- 
idcea  for  rheumatism.  Following  this,  Dr.  Herman  administered 
the  decoction  with  good  success  to  three  patients,  one  being  an  old 
man  who  was  suffering  for  three  and  one-half  years  with  muscular 
articular  rheumatism. 
Dr.  Smirnoff  {Wratch,  through  Bull,  de  Therapeut.,  1892,  p.  470), 
used  a  decoction  of  the  whole  plant  in  the  proportion  of  30-60 
gm.  to  500  cc.  water.  The  decoction  is  dark  in  color,  not  clear, 
has  a  bitter  taste  and  neutral  reaction.  Nine  patients  were  treated  ; 
with  seven  a  cure  was  effected,  with  two  no  effect  whatever, 
was  produced.  The  treatment  lasted  from  three  weeks  to  three 
months. 
Phloroglucin  in  plants. — To  determine  the  presence  of  phloroglucin 
T.  Waaqe  (Ann.  Agron.,  1892,  p.  204)  makes  use  of  Gunzburg's 
reagent  (see  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,  1888,  p.  240);  one  drop  of  the 
vanillin  solution  (0-005  m  4  °  HC1)  will  detect  0  001  mgm.  phloro- 
glucin. He  observed  that  gymnosperms  are  rich  in  phloro- 
glucin, monocotyledons  and  gamopetalse  contain  little,  and  polype- 
talse  are  destitute  of  this  compound.  As  a  rule,  woody  plants  are 
richer  than  herbs,  but  the  distribution  in  root,  stem  and  leaves  ®f 
the  same  plant  is  nearly  uniform.  The  author  regards  it  as  a  by- 
product of  plant  life  ;  it  enters  into  the  formation  of  very  complex 
principles  (phloroglucosides),  is  connected  with  the  production  of 
phlobaphenes  and  certain  coloring  matters,  and  is  usually  met  with 
in  plants  containing  tannin. 
Atropine  in  hyperacidity  of  the  stomach. — Dr.  Voinovitch  {Bullet, 
de  Th'erapeut.,  1892,  471)  based  on  the  experiments  of  Drs.  Nets- 
chaeff  and  Popoff,  exhibited  sulphate  of  atropine  in  a  case  of 
stomachal  hypersecretion.  The  dose  used  was  three-quarters  of  a 
milligram  three  times  a  day  by  the  mouth.  After  the  third  day 
pain  had  stopped  and  vomiting  had  ceased.  After  the  tenth  day 
the  gastric  juice  was  examined  and  found  to  be  almost  normal. 
Hydrastis  canadensis  in  the  vomiting  of  pregnancy. — Dr.  Fedorow 
{Rev.  de  Therap.,  1892,  388)  gives  20  drops  of  the  .  fluid  extract  of 
hydrastis  four  times  a  day  in  cases  of  vomiting  of  pregnancy.  The 
