967

discussed and a list of tests is given for the presenceof impurities other than alcohol, which the pharma-copoeias usually insist on. A lengthy and interestingarticle on alkaloids is written by Mr. B. F. Howardand ;Bfr. 0. Chick. The history and cultivation ofcinchona, and the many alkaloids found in the barksare described. The quinine market is a curious oneand, considering the extent to which this drug isused in the British Empire, it seems remarkable thatwe cannot make all the quinine we require by under-taking the scientific cultivation of cinchona in ourcolonies, instead of being subject to the control ofDutch merchants. Contributions on camphor, cocoa,coffee, cheese, and particularly on disinfectants, willrepay perusal. Throughout the volume few errors

are noticeable ; the writing is clear and the editingadmirable.

_____________

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN ANDROGYNE.New York: The Medico-Legal Journal. 1918.Pp. 265.$4.Tms is the auto-biographical story of a life-long

struggle between devoutly religious ideas and intenselyperverse desires. The book is not for general reading,but whoever is called upon to deal with disorders ofimpulse and conduct-whether he be doctor, lawyer,or legislator—will act with fuller justice if he hassuch knowledge as a book of this nature can givehim.

A MANUAL OF PHARMACOLOGY.Fifth edition. By WALTER E. Dixon, M.D.,F.R.S., Reader in Pharmacology, CambridgeUniversity. London: Edward Arnold and Co.1921. Pp. 468.THE new edition of Dr. Dixon’s Manual of Pharma-

cology has nothing to fear from critics. The strengthof the book is the common-sense way in which theauthor, who knows all there is to be known on thesubject of pharmacology, limits what he imparts tothe useful and applicable side of the drugs. He givesthe information which counts. The non-therapeuticdrugs receive their due without being over-emphasised.The book does not aim at any theory in arrangementand is essentially practical ; thus many-sided drugs likethe atropine group and sulphur do not break down anyhigh-aiming scheme. Dr. Dixon has by his pharma-cological work been in part responsible for the recentrevival of the application of physiology to medicine,which implies also a revival of pharmacology. Thisbook is the summary of his own and others’ workwhich has made this revival possible. It is a manualof pharmacology which does not encroach on thera-peutics. If students could be persuaded to learnscientifically, considering the actions of drugs in themanner laid down in the early pages of the book,learning would be easy ; instances given there makethe rest of the book simple reading. The tracings andformulae, which at first sight suggest that the bookmay be technical and tedious, are found on nearerexamination to add materially to the interest of thetext. We note that Dr. Dixon assents to, but is notan enthusiastic adherent of, the myoneural junctiontheory, and that he considers that alkalies taken beforefood do inhibit the secretion of gastric juice ; recentwork would hardly seem to support this view. Asregards minor details of accuracy the book is excellent.The fifth edition is well up-to-date and is not

hampered by old formulae and out-of-date drugs. It is,we believe, the best book of its class on pharmacology.

JOURNALS.HEALTH : JOURNAL OF THE FEDERATION 01<’ MEDICAL

AXD ALLIED SOCIETIES, 12, Stratford-place, London,11’. 3.&mdash;The journal of the Federation of Medical and- mixed Societies has made its appearance this week,and states concisely on the title page its object. Iti" "

concerned in assisting the formation of opinionon public health questions." In a lucid foreword by

Sir Malcolm Morris this idea is further explained :" It is not enough," writes Sir Malcolm Morris, " thatthe leaders of the societies should meet in conferenceas they are doing. If this great combination is to pullits full weight, it must be sustained hy an instructedand vigorous public opinion in the membership. Therank and file, numbering scores of thousands, mustbe brought into the debate. They must be keptinformed of what is afoot, they must have oppor-tunities of adding their knowledge and wisdom to thecommon stock. That is why Health has been started."The contents of the new journal, modest though it isin size and price, fairly live up to a large promise.A statement of the position under which an inquiryinto the working of the Insurance Act is being soughtfor is followed by an excellent special article on thevoluntary hospitals and the national providentscheme, by Dr. Gordon Dill. The revue of the weektakes particular notice of the public interests in suchquestions as grants towards milk for necessitousmothers, the payment for insurance under theUnemployment Insurance Act by nurses, and theexemption of nurses and midwives from juries, nowthat women can take their place in the box. A

thoughtful article by Dr. Jane Walker upon thequestion of whether marriage should be regarded as abar to the employment of women deals with a matterof topical urgency. The diary of the proceedings atthe meetings of societies and associations where theseand similar subjects are discussed forms a usefulsection of the paper, and one which is probablyintended to become a regular feature. We wish ourcontemporary all prosperity.ANNALES DE L’INSTITUT PASTEUR.&mdash;&mdash;In Vol. XXXV.,

No. 8 (August, 1921), Gengou has taken up the studyof the substances causing breaking up of bacteriawithin the leucocyte, and by extracting with acidsand neutralising the product obtains a substancecapable of producing a similar result in vitro. Sincethe morphological changes undergone by the bacteriaunder these circumstances are the same as thoseoccurring within the leucocyte in vivo he considersthat his extracts contain the active substance of theleucocytes. Other tissues fail to give similar extracts.The extracts are only active within a moderate rangeof alkalinity or acidity on either side of neutrality.The extracts contain a single substance capable ofacting on a variety of organisms, not specific sub-stances for different organisms. The active substanceis protein in nature or closely bound up with theproteins of the extract. They exert no haemolyticaction on red blood corpuscles, and cannot be madeto do so by the addition of either fragment of thecomplement from which, and from other considera-tions, Gengou considers this substance distinct fromcomplement, and, although capable of digestinggelatin, also distinct from the proteolytic fermentsof the leucocytes.--The Mechanism of Action ofHirudin and the Antithrombin of the Plasma obtainedafter an Injection of Peptone, is the subject of a longpaper by Andre Gratia. The author accepts theclassical theory of coagulation, as enunciated byBordet and Delange, which assumes the presence ofthree substances essential for coagulation : a thermo-labile humoral substance (serozyme), a thermo-stablecellular product (cytozyme), and fibrinogen. Heaccepts the lipoidal nature of the cytozyme andhabitually uses a lipoidal extract as cytozyme in hisexperiments. In general the antithrombin of peptone-plasma and that of hirudin have similar properties :he does not agree with Mellanby and others that theformer, like that set free in anaphylactic shock, is

merely an increased alkalinity of the blood, but con-siders it a specific substance. Both these anti-thrombic substances have the property of being effec-tive in much smaller doses the earlier they are made tointervene in the process of clotting; a quantitycapable of inhibiting the combination of serozymeand cytozyme to form thrombin being insufficient,at a later stage, to neutralise the thrombin whenonce this is formed. The amount of hirudin required

968

to prevent clotting is a function of the amount ofthrombin present, and the quantity required toprevent the serozyme-cytozyme combination isproportionate to the relative concentrations of thesetwo substances in any given experiment. The authoralso considers that hirudin can exert an influence ata yet earlier stage, and inhibit the transformation ofproseroz5-me into serozyme. Thrombin and anti-thrombin form an inert complex, the antithrombinbeing neutralised but not destroyed ; heating willdestroy the thrombin and set free the antithrombinagain. The paper finishes with a quite interestingcomparison between the action of thrombin and anti-thrombin in the presence of fibrinogen, and of toxinand antitoxin in the presence of the cell.-Thisnumber also contains a short paper by H. Limousinon the direct cultivation of R. tuberculosis from thesputum on P6trof’s medium, which has given theauthor satisfactory results.

Reports and Analytical Records" VALEDA " INVALID FOOD AND " (x’001) AS

GOLD" BABY FOOD.(AUSTEN FOODS, LTD., BATH.)

THESE two foods when analysed gave the followingresults :-

Valeda " Good as Gold "

per cent. per cent.Carbohydrates, starch, &c... 7S’0 .... 75’6Fibre........ 0’6 .... 0’5Protein ...... 12-1 .... 11’1Fat 1-5 .... l’JMineral matter 0’9 .... O’SMoisture ...... &uuml;’S .... 10’6

99’ 9 .... 100’ 0matter soluble in cold water 6-3 .... 5’S

Alkalinity (as NaHC03) .. 0’17.... 0’17Starch liquefying enzyme.. absent.... absentNature of starch.... wheat .... wheat

These figures are characteristic of " heated flour "preparations. Nothing can be said against

" Valeda "

as an invalid food. With regard, however, to theinfant’s food. the words of Dr. F. J. H. Coutts in hisreport to the Local Government BOal’d may be quoted: .

" I am of opinion that foods containing unchanged starchor starch altered only by heating should not be given tobabies under 7 months of age, except on the advice of,and under the supervision of, a medical man."

"ASEPSO" SOAP.(.MESSRS. EDWARD COOK AND Co., LTD., Bow, LONDON.)This soap is stated to he a remedy for eczema,

ringworm, and other skin troubles. When analysedit was found to contain 2-8 per cent. of mercuriciodide (HI2), which confirms the manufacturers’claim of 3 per cent. of this ingredient. The germicidalvalue of mercuric iodide is well known, and it is obviousthat this soap, used with discretion, should be ofconsiderable value to the medical practitioner.

LYND’S " W’ELL-1_VI 1DE " SOAP.(WM. LYND AND CO., BOWMAN-LANE SOAP WORKS, LEEDS.)We have received a sample of soap of the

‘ Well-made " brand for examination. Our analysis showedthe following percentage composition :&mdash;Water 2’07 per cent.Fatty anhydrides &ocirc;4’48 "

Free alkali as NaOH .... O’OJ "

Alkali (Na20) combined as sodiumcarbonate ...... O’{)’1 "

Alkali (Na2O) combined as soap.. 6’87 "

Insoluble matter...... 0-10 "

Resin acids........ present.This soap is of good quality and suited for domesticpurposes. The amount of free alkali and insolublematter is negligible.1 1914, New Series, 80, p. 31; see also THE LANCET, 1914, ii., 512.

VERMOUTH. F1tBTELLT COREIJJ. TORINO.(EDWAMD YOU-1(, AXD Co., LTI’.. 62-, 1I_1nr-r,.mF, IjOXDOX.

’E.G. 3.)On analysis this vermouth was found to have the

following composition:-Alcohol (by weight) .... ll’3t per cent.Fixed acidity (as tartaric).. 0.36 "

Volatile acidity (as acetic).... ()106 .,

Extract ........ 15.26 .,

Total sugars ...... li’70 ll .,

Specific gravity...... 1041.72&deg;

This vermouth consists of a matured wine to whichhas been added certain vegetable extracts, mostlyderived from the cinchona familv. The analyticalresults yuoted above are typical of a good vermouth.Skilful blending of the flavouring matters has resultedin a very palatable product, which is free fromharshness " or excessive sweetness.

GILBERT’S INVALID POIIT.(WILLIAMS, HUMBERT, AND Co., 38, MINCING-LANE, B.C.)

, When drawn from bond and analysed this winewas found to have the composition:-Alcohol ...... 21’3 per cent. (by volume)

equivalent to 37’3 ., proof spirit.Total extractives .. 9.4 "

Containing&mdash;Mineral matters 0’2 ,." sugars .. 8’5 ,,

Total acidity (tartaric) .. 0.33 ,,

Volatile acidity (acetic) .. 0’03 .,

The sugars consist of a mixture of dextrose andIscvulose, cane sugar being absent. The analyticalresults confirm the statement of the vendors that thisis a straight Douro port wine containing no admixtures

New Inventions.A NEW BLADDER LAMP.

THE method commonly in use for the artificialillumination of the interior of the bladder during anopen operation is to reflect electric light from eithera hand- or head-lamp through the opening madein the anterior abdominal wall. Both these lamps

.

are inconvenient to use

and unsatisfactory in theirresults. Recently I havedevised an electric lampwhich can be fitted to

the e posteriorblade of Thom-son Walker’sbladder retrac-tor. It com-

pletely illumi-nates the baseof the bladder,

the lateral walls, and theinternal meatus. Themetal blade of theretractor acts as the re-flector. The accompany-ing illustration showshow the lamp is attachedto this blade, and issituated wholly insidethe bladder. Owing to itssimple design it takesup no appreciable spacewithin the vesical cavity.Should the lamp become covered with blood duringan operation a gauze swab on forceps will efficientlyclean it. The lamp with its attachment can besterilised by insertion in met hylated spirit or 1 in 40 carbolic acid. During the operation the cable liesbeneath a sterilised towel and does not come incontact with any instrument.

-

The lamp can be obtained from the Genito-UrinaryManufacturing Company, to whom I desire to expressmy thanks lor much valuable help in its design.

I Welbeck-st., W. CLIFFORD MORSON, O.B.E., F.R.C.S.