Varieties.

A CAUTION ABOUT JEQUIRITY.—After reporting a case of sloughing of the cornea after the use of jequirity, in the "Weekly Medical Review," February 23, 1884, Dr. S. Pollak formulates as follows:

1. Jequirity is by far the best remedy which has been hitherto used for trachoma and pannus.
2. It does all, and more speedily, that has ever been claimed for purulent inoculation, minus the repulsiveness of the last remedy.
3. The infusion of jequirity must be used only when perfectly fresh. After four or five days it swarms with bacteria, when the danger of their entering the tissue and causing a septic state is very great.
4. Sterilizing the infusion requires much care and labor, and may not always be practicable. It will doubtless retard the decomposition, but it will not prevent it entirely.
5. The full therapeutic utility of jequirity will only be attained when chemistry shall have succeeded in preparing an alkaloid of it, which will keep, and the strength of it is properly known.—Med. and Surg. Rep., March 22.

TURPENTINE AS A PROPHYLACTIC IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES.—The "Medical Record" tells us that H. Vilandt writes in the "Ugeskrift for Laeger," (Danish for "Weekly Journal for Doctors -Henriette) vol. viii, No. 8, 1883, concerning the value of the oil of turpentine in the treatment and prophylaxis of diphtheria and the exanthematous diseases. He states that he has never seen any of these diseases spread from a sick child to other members of the family when this remedy was employed. In many of his cases no isolation could be attempted, as the mother was the only female in the family, and was obliged to take care of both the sick and the well, continually passing back and forth from one to the other. His method was to pour from twenty to forty drops of a mixture of equal parts of turpentine and carbolic acid into a kettle of water, which was kept simmering over a slow fire, so that the air of the sickroom was kept constantly impregnated with the odor of these two substances. He claims also that by this means a favorable influence is exerted upon the exudation in diphtheria, although it is by no means curative of the disease, and should never be relied upon to the exclusion of other remedies.—Med. and Surg. Sep., March 29, 1884.

CONVALLARIA MAJALIS is not as perfectly safe as some have believed. Dr. George Hersehell relates in the "Lancet" the case of a man, apparently healthy, who had an irregular pulse following worry and overwork two years ago. The patient had been taking digitalis, but this was discontinued, and, after an interval of a month or two, tincture of convallaria was ordered in five minim doses three times a day. After a few doses he was obliged to stop its use on account of its remarkable effects. Almost immediately after taking a dose the pulse became nearly imperceptible at the wrist, and there was a sense of oppression over the sternum, nausea, void feet, vertigo, flatulence, and a feeling of utter prostration. These symptoms lasted two hours, but came on again at each repetition of the dose.—Weekly Med. Review, Dec. 1, 1883.

RAPIDLY DRYING VARNISH.—W. Dauner recommends the following: Mix intimately colophony with thick milk of lime; after 24 hours dry by heat and powder. This powder is used for preparing varnishes from soft resins as follows: Melt 100 parts of pine resin, add with constant stirring 10 to 15 parts of the above powder, continue to heat for 30 minutes, remove from the fire and add linseed oil 25 to 50 parts and oil of turpentine 35 to 90 parts, according to the thickness desired.—Hoffm. Papierzeitung.

The American Journal of Pharmacy, Vol. 56, 1884, was edited by John M. Maisch.