588 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
t  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\  December,  1909. 
Glycerin  in  Fluid  extracts. — R.  Firbas  reports  an  investigation 
on  the  part  played  by  glycerin  in  the  extraction  of  various  drugs, 
and  concludes  that,  for  the  fluidextracts  of  cinchona  and  kola, 
glycerin  appears  to  be  necessary,  for  hydrastis  desirable  and  for 
ergot  not  needed. — Pharm.  Ztg.,  1909,  v.  54,  p.  765. 
Cultivation  of  Medicinal  Plants. — W.  Mitlacher  discusses  the 
possibility  of  introducing  the  cultivation  of  medicinal  plants  in 
connection  with  the  pharmacognostic  courses  at  the  different  univer- 
sities. He  points  out  that  for  the  pharmacist  located  in  rural  sec- 
tions a  practical  knowledge  of  drug  cultivation  would  be  of  advan- 
tage. He  might  develop  drug  culture  as  a  side  line  or  utilize  his 
knowledge  to  guide  others  in  its  practical  application. — Pharm.  Ztg., 
Berk,  1909,  v.  54,  p.  767. 
Ferments  of  Drugs. — An  abstract  calls  attention  to  the  probable 
action  of  ferments  on  the  glucosidal  bodies  in  drugs  during  drying 
and  storing,  and  the  possibility  of  destroying  the  ferment  by  pre- 
liminary heating. — CJiem,  and  Drug.,  Lond.,  1909,  v.  75,  p.  638. 
Adrenalin  and  Adrenalin-like  Bodies. — W.  H.  Schultz  reports  a 
number  of  quantitative  pharmacological  studies  to  determine  the 
effect  on  blood-pressure,  the  toxicity  and  the  measurement  of 
mydriasis  in  the  frog's  excised  bulbus.  He  quotes  an  extensive 
bibliography  and  concludes  that  the  blood-pressure  method  with 
dogs,  under  morphine-ether  anaesthesia,  the  vagi  cut,  and  very  small 
doses  of  curare,  is  the  most  accurate  pharmacological  assay  for  cate- 
chol derivatives. — Bull.  No.  55,  Hygienic  Laboratory,  U.S.P.H.  & 
M.H.S, 
•      Agar-agar.— G.  Weigel  reviews  the  uses  of  agar-agar  for  various 
technical  purposes  and  points  out  that  its  use  in  pharmacy  and 
medicine  appears  to  be  decidedly  on  the  increase.    In  addition  to 
its  widespread  use  in  connection  with  suppositories  and  pastilles, 
and  as  a  bacteriological  culture  medium,  it  is  also  being  used  as  a 
;non-irritating  laxative  agent  because  of  its  property  of  absorbing 
'  and  -holding  moisture,    in  Germany;  ' a  variety  of  preparations 
,  containing  agar-agar  as  the  basis  are  being  sold. — Pharm.  Centralh., 
1,909, .  v.  50,  p.  766.  •  ,r  ; 
-  Antisoi- S11ppositori.es  — V\\Q\mtr  and  Warren  report  the  examina- 
tion of  a  sample  of;. anusol  suppositories  which  showed  that  they 
•.contain  about  0.08  per  'cent.,  of  iodine,  or  1.2.  per  cent,  of  the  amount 
•claimed;  0.71  per.  cent,  of  bismuth,  .or  .19  per  cent,  of .  the  amount 
claimed,  and  zinc  the  equivalent,  of  16.5  per  cent,  of  zinc  oxide,  or 
