Analytical Records Three Qualities
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1265 130 is the conclusion of a story about a man who sold matter, 4’7 ° 58 per cent. The total nitrogen amounted to 4’00 an idea with money in it for a glass of beer. The astute per cent. Primox is a highly concentrated preparation and buyer of the idea, which was that of a zinc collar-pad should be useful as an emergency food. We attach little to prevent horses getting sore necks, argued "that the importance on dietetic grounds to the addition of vegetables matter oozing from the sores on the horses’ necks would in this preserved state. corrode the zinc pad and produce sulphate of zinc- LAUREL CAMPHOR SOAP (MILNE). thus the disease would provide its own remedy." It may be (THE GALEN MANUFACTURING Co., LIMITED. WiMON-STBEET, said that this was only the idea of the buyer, but the authors NEW CROSS-ROAD, LONDON, S.E.) of the book let it pass without a word of comment. Some This soap proved to be well made, containing a minimum salts of zinc would undoubtedly be produced, but surely not of moisture and giving absolutely no indication of alkaline the sulphate. However, as a whole the book puts the argu- excess. It is soft and agreeable to the skin and possesses an of ments for temperance in a forcible manner, but we do attractive odour. The soap is said to contain the oil think that in a book specially intended for schools such the camphor laurel, tar phenols and cymene. It yields a is suitable for errors as we have indicated should have no place. In regard pleasant, soothing lather and delicate skins. to the uses of alcohol as a medicine (p. 29) we should like NON-ALCOHOLIC MALT BEER. to point out that alcohol is seldom given as a medicine simply (H. B. MAY, DYSON’S LANE NURSERIES, UPPER ED1VIONTON.) because it is alcohol. Its main use is as a vehicle for a We may not have received this specimen in good con- in the form of or drug-i.e., tinctures "spiritus." When dition, for it was not very satisfactory, neither can it wine or is ordered it is or should not brandy ordered, be, correctly be described as non-alcoholic. As a matter of so much on account of the alcohol but on account of the fact, the amount of alcohol we found considerably exceeds ethers which it contains or occasionally (in the case cf the Excise limit of 2 per cent, proof spirit. Our analysis because an certain wines) they contain easily assimilable was as follows : extractives, 3 14 per cent. ; mineral matter, form of iron. 0°10 per cent. ; and alcohol, by weight 2’44 per cent., by volume 3’07 per cent., equal to proof spirit 5’37 per cent. JOURNALS AND MAGAZINES. BEERS OF LOW ALCOHOLIC STRENGTH. The Medical Magazine in its October number contains an (UNITED BREWERIES Co., COPENHAGEN ; AND 46, QUEEN ViOTOBIA- interesting and convincing article by Dr. Henry Rayner who STREET, LONDON, E.C.) points out the extreme rarity of the occasions upon which It is hardly possible to brew a genuine malt beer which narcotic drugs should be used to produce sleep. Dr. will possess as low a strength of alcohol as is represented by " li ayner’s article is entitled Sleep in Relation to narcotics 2 per cent. of proof spirit. As our analysis of these Danish- and in accordance with the title it is more concerned in brewed beers shows, however, it is possible to obtain a demonstrating the disadvantages of narcotics when used to genuine malted liquor of a satisfactory character with the produce sleep than in setting forth the advantages of other alcoholic strength not exceeding 3 per cent. of prcof spirit. methods of treatment. Dr. Rayner shows how in many A beer which is shown to contain 2 per cent. of alcohol by cases the defective elimination, which is part of the volume or only 12 per cent. by weight can scarcely be re- disease being treated by the narcotic, is inevitably height- garded as an intoxicating liquor. The Excise authorities, ened by the added need for elimination of the narcotic however, rule that 2 per cent of proof spirit must be drug itself. He shows also how there are essential phy- the limit of the teetotal beverage and any liquor above siological differences between natural sleep and that pro- this strength must be sold by licence. If the limit duced by narcotic drugs, and finally he concludes that, had been made 3 per cent. of proof spirit genuine "with very rare exceptions narcotics can be avoided with fermented malt liquors of a practically non-intoxicating " advantage. kind could be sold with the same freedom as are the strictly non-alcoholic drinks such as soda-water and lemonade. The beers above described are of the character of lager beer but with even less alcohol. We have examined Analytical Records three qualities. No. 1 gave the following results : malt FROM extractives, 5 13 per cent. ; mineral matter, 0 16 per cent. ; THE LANCET LABORATORY. and alcohol, by weight 1-69 per cent., by volume 2-12 per cent., equal to proof spirit 3’71 per cent. No. 2: malt extractives, 2-54 per cent ; mineral matter, 0 ° 11 per cent. ; VISANUS ROYAL HOSPITAL DISINFECTANTS. and alcohol, by weight 1-06 per cent., by volume 1 ° 34 per (THE VISANUS Co., 2 AND 4, CARRICK-STREET, GLASGOw.) cent., equal to proof spirit 2’34 per cent. No. 3 : malt VrSANUS disinfectant fluid is a brown tarry-looking com- extractives, 6’ 61 per cent.; mineral matter, 0’ 20 per cent. ; pound exhibiting strong alkaline reaction. It contains tar and alcohol, by weight 1 ° 69 per cent., by volume 2’12 per derivatives associated with resin and alkali. It forms with cent., equal to proof spirit 3’71 per cent. These beers are water a milky fluid. On the addition of an acid to the fluid genuine malt liquors, somewhat rich in extractives, but oils separate amounting to about 80 per cent. of the original poor in alcoholic contents. Their flavour is like that of volume. These oils did not appear to dissolve on adding lager beer, while they are agreeably charged with the alkali. We find no very remarkable feature in this prepara- natural gas of fermentation. tion. It doubtless possesses strong disinfectant properties. The liquid soap which we examined contained this fluid as its UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, LONDON, GOWER-STREET, disinfectant basis. W.C.-The specimens, upwards of 100 in number, which PRIMOX. have been added to the Museum of Anatomy and Pathology are now on view at The (PRIMOX, LIMITED, 53, NEW BROAD-STREET, LONDON, E.C.) University College. specimens include a series of tumours of the large intestine removed by The chief feature of this preparation is that it is made operation, gall-stones removed by operation, and tumours of with both meat and vegetables, the latter serving to improve the thyroid gland. Among the individual specimens of the otherwise sickly and unappetising flavour of ordinary special interest may be mentioned a spontaneous aneurysm of the brachial removed a diverticulum meat extract. Primox is a brown pasty mass with saline artery by operation, ilei completely detached from the bowel by sloughing, a meaty taste and with a not unpleasing flavour also of vege- collar-stud impacted in the right bronchus and causing tables. Our analysis gave the following results : moisture, bronchiectasis and empyema, and a dissection of an 35’00 per cent. ; mineral matter, 17’ 42 per cent. ; and organic obturator hernia..