540  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference.     {Am  S.j£5frm' 
ation.  In  the  discussion  of  this  paper  Mr.  Gerrard  mentioned  that  he  had 
found  1 250  F.  the  best  temperature  for  digestion,  and  that  in  the  case  of  meat 
the  change  was  more  rapid  in  proportion  to  the  subdivision  of  the  meat  and 
the  greater  degree  of  dilution.  Some  doubt  was  thrown  upon  the  iodine  te%t 
by  Mr.  Dott,  who  preferred  the  method  of  determining  the  sugar  produced. 
The  Electro-magnetic  Current  in  Strychnine  Poisoning. — Mr.  James  Mac- 
kenzie described  his  experience  of  its  successful  application  to  a  dog  that  had 
been  poisoned  with  strychnia.  The  animal  had  probably  taken  about  a  grain 
of  strychnine  and  presented  unmistakable  symptoms  of  strychnine  poisoning, 
but  directly  the  current  was  applied  to  the  spinal  column  its  beneficial  effect 
was  evident,  the  muscular  rigidity  subsiding,  and  at  the  end  of  four  hours  the 
dog  was  sufficiently  recovered  to  be  able  to  walk  home.  In  subsequent  experi- 
mental trials  with  dogs  under  various  conditions  the  same  result  was  obtained, 
and  Mr.  Mackenzie  suggests  that  this  method  of  counteracting  the  effects  of 
strychnine  in  cases  of  poisoning  is  worthy  of  further  investigation.1  Mr. 
Martindale  suggested  that  hypodermic  injection  of  apomorphine  would  be  the 
most  effectual  antidote,  but  this  was  objected  to  by  Mr.  Gerrard  as  impractica- 
ble on  account  of  the  violent  convulsions  produced  by  strychnine.  Mr. 
Groves  mentioned  that  he  had  found  repeated  doses  of  chloral  had  a  beneficial 
effect  in  cases  of  poisoning  by  strychnine,  and  Mr.  Atkins  stated  that  he  had 
seen  the  galvanic  current  applied  without  success.  In  reply,  Mr.  Mackenzie 
said  that  apomorphine  was  not  known  at  the  time  his  experiments  were  made, 
and  that  he  had  brought  the  subject  forward  in  order  that  it  might  be  investi*- 
gated,  as  the  method  might  enable  chemists  to  act  in  cases  of  emergency. 
The  Purity  of  Lithium  Salts. — Mr.  Wm.  Mair  examined  samples  of  com- 
mercial carbonate  and  citrate  of  lithium.  On  converting  the  carbonates  into 
sulphates  and  carefully  purifying,  he  found  that  two  out  of  seven  specimens 
were  free  from  impurity  whilst  the  others  contained  minute  traces  of  sodium, 
calcium,  or  magnesium  carbonate.  It  was  concluded  that  commercial  car- 
bonate of  lithium,  as  now  supplied,  is  reasonably  pure  and  free  from  added 
extraneous  matter.  Seven  samples  of  the  citrate  yielded  very  similar  results, 
only  two  being  chemically  pure.  None  of  the  material  examined  was  of  Ger- 
man origin,  and  Mr.  Mair  suggests  that  home  manufacturers  might  with 
benefit  devote  greater  attention  to  perfecting  the  purity  of  chemicals  used  in 
pharmacy.  Whilst  admitting  that  certain  British  firms  do  maintain  a  high 
standard,  the  desirability  of  securing  a  general  adherence  to  this  standard  was 
insisted  upon.  In  reference  to  the  remark  concerning  pure  chemicals,  Mr. 
Tyrer  said  that  manufacturers  were  prepared  to  meet  any  demands  provided 
buyers  would  pay  the  prices  which  pure  articles  must  of  necessity  bear,  but 
purity  could  not  be  expected  while  they  were  subject  to  competition  with  infe- 
rior articles. 
Valerianate  of  Zinc. — Mr.  W.  A.  H.  Naylor  has  found  time,  in  addition  to 
performing  his  multifarious  duties  as  senior  Honorary  General  Secretary  to 
the  Conference,  to  conduct  an  investigation  of  the  commercial  varieties  of 
valerianate  of  zinc.    He  procured  seven  samples,  variously  denoted  as  crystal- 
1  One  of  the  earliest  instances  of  the  successful  use  of  the  electro-magnetic  current  in  a 
case  of  accidental  strychnine  poisoning  was  reported  in  the  Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,  1855,  p.  557.— 
Kditor. 
