393

Analytical RecordsFROM

THE LANCET LABORATORY.

NON-ALCOHOLIC MALT LIQUORS.

(MALTOP AND Co., THE BREWERY, ACTON.)IT is somewhat interesting in connexion with these beers

to find that the same plant and apparatus formerly used in’the brewing of ordinary ale is now employed with markedsuccess in the preparation of the non-fermented, and con-sequently non-alcoholic, beers about to be described. The

.samples received, and the analytical results they yielded,were as follows :-Mild ale : extractives, 4’26 per cent. ;mineral matter, 0’18 per cent. ; alcohol, by weight 0’05 percent., by volume 0’07 per cent., equal to proof spirit 0’12per cent. ; total acidity reckoned as acetic acid, 0’22 percent. Nourishing stout : extractives, 5’09 per cent. ; mineral,matter, 0-20 per cent. ; alcohol, by weight 0’32 per cent.,’by volume 0’40 per cent., equal to proof spirit 0’70

.per cent. ; total acidity reckoned as acetic acid, 0’34 per cent.’Lager beer: extractives, 4’15 per cent. ; mineral matter,0’25 per cent; alcohol, by weight 0’05 per cent., by volume0’07 per cent., equal to proof spirit 0’12 per cent. ; total

acidity reckoned as acetic acid, 0’27 per cent. India paleale: extractives, 4’41 per cent. ; mineral matter, 0 22 per,cent.; alcohol, by weight 0’05 per cent., by volume0’07 per cent., equal to proof spirit 0’12 per cent. ; total

acidity reckoned as acetic acid, 0’28 per cent. Double stout:extractives, 5’62 per cent. ; mineral matter, 0’14 per cent. ;alcohol, by weight 0’32 per cent., by volume 0’40 per cent.,equal to proof spirit 0 70 per cent. ; total acidity reckoned.as acetic acid, 0’28 per cent. The lager beer is preparedfrom Bavarian hops and malted barley. The processconsists in the mashing of malt as with the ordinary brewingprocedure, but the malt sugar thus produced is not allowed toundergo any fermentation. The liquor is then bittered withhops and finally aerated. Thus these beers present exactlythe composition of ordinary brewed beers without the alcohol.As the foregoing analyses show, the samples were practicallyfree from alcohol even when reckoned as proof spirit. Theymay be regarded as genuine hop and malt liquors preparedon approved scientific lines, and of a wholesome character.We found no objectionable preservatives and the flavour wasdecidedly like that of beer, with a delicate bitter and

pleasant malty flavour. It should be added that the water-

supply is derived from an artesian well 500 ft. in depth, thequality of which is free from reproach, and at the sametime well adapted for brewing purposes.

11 VARALETTES."

(ALFRED BISHOP, LIVIITED, 17, SPECK’S FIELDS, MILE END NEW I

TOWN, E.)Varalettes " is a distinctive term applied to effervescent

tablets, which present in an agreeable and satisfactory formcertain medicaments. Foremost we think in interest amongstthese is the "varalette" containing piperazine citrate.

Piperazine in this form possesses some distinct advantages,since this salt is constant in composition, containing alwaysthree molecules of piperazine to two molecules of citric acid ;further, it is a neutral salt non-volatile and non-hygroscopicwhile in the form of citrate, piperazine does not lose its

solvent power over uric acid, and moreover leads to no

objectionable products of oxidation in the system. "Vara-lettes " are also prepared containing antipyrin with andwithout caffeine, lithia bitartrate, lithia citrate, with andwithout potassium citrate, potassium iodide, and urotropine.They are a very convenient and pleasant form of medica-ment, yielding a perfectly clear and effervescent solutionwhen dropped into water. "Varalettes" are contained inbottles suitable for placing in the waistcoat pocket.

HOMO BREAD.

(M. AND C. WEST, ASHBURNHAM BAKERY, 48, LOT’S-ROAD,CHELSEA, S.W.)

The process by which this well-baked loaf is prepared isevidently directed towards securing a maximum proportionof the real nourishing constituents of wheat. It containsthe germ of wheat, while all irritating branny particles areabsent. The loaf proved to possess a good wheaten flavourand presented a good texture.

OLD BRANDY.

(GAUTIER FRÈRES, COGNAC.), The sample of spirit submitted to us was described as

"very fine liqueur brandy twenty years old," so that it wasmanufactured just a year before the phylloxera ravaged theCognac district. The brandy has a fine mellow taste, andpossesses that peculiar fragrance characteristic of a well-matured and genuine grape spirit. The figures of analysiswere as follows :-Alcohol, by weight 36’67 per cent., byvolume 43’69 per cent., equal to proof spirit 76’56 per cent.;total extractives, 1’20 per cent ; total acidity, 0’06 per cent.It will thus be seen that the alcoholic strength is somewhatlow, the extractive matter somewhat in excess (the colouralso being decidedly dark), while the acidity is practicallynil but these are all facts tending to confirm the age andorigin of the spirit. It is well known that since the unfor-tunate devastation which overtook the French vineyards inthe Cognac district in 1878 a large quantity of spuriousCognac brandy has been imported into England. As theconsuls’ reports have shown, this shipment has far exceededthe possible output of grape spirit. We believe the specimenbefore us is genuine Cognac brandy and part of what must bea small quantity yet left. It may not be generally known thatexcellent grape spirit can be obtained if desired, and thisshould be preferred to the stuff which is distilled from maizeand other cereals. The product before us, being a genuinegrape spirit and possessing those estimable characters in

regard to aroma and flavour of real Cognac brandy, is pecu-liarly well adapted for medicinal purposes.

New Inventions.NEW PORTABLE EYE INSTRUMENT STERILISER

THE illustration represents a new portable form ofsteriliser for eye instruments designed at the suggestion ofMr. Simeon Snell of Sheffield. With the ordinary forms ofsteriliser the instruments are frequently immersed too longin the boiling water, which results in injury to the edges ofthe cutting instruments. In the present case it is merelyintended that the blades of the instruments should be dipped

in, but it is large enough to allow of the immersion ofa speculum and other instruments if desired. The wholeapparatus is so portable that it can be easily carried to thepatient’s house in an ordinary surgeon’s bag. The apparatusis made by Messrs. Down Bros., 21, St. Thomas’s-street,London, S.E.

394 THE STANDARDISING OF ANTITOXINS.

THE LANCET.

LONDON: SATURDAY, AUGUST 14, 1897.

WE have from time to time in these columns insisted most

strenuously that some means should be provided wherebyantitoxins supplied for the treatment of diphtheria andtetanus, especially the former, should be tested and

standardised before passing into the hands of those whoare to use them. We first drew attention to this matter in

a series of comparative investigations which were under-taken by THE LANCET Special Commission on the

Relative Strengths of Diphtheria Antitoxic Serums, and the results then obtained formed a basis for com-

parison of the various serums at that time in the market.We took the opportunity of drawing special attention tothe necessity for the appointment of some central authority,similar to the State Institution in Germany, founded for thedefinite purpose of testing and controlling the serum sentinto the market. Although we strongly urged that theState, through the Home Office or through the Board ofTrade, should undertake this work, we were fully aware ofthe difficulty of converting the official heads of these depart-ments to our way of thinking, and Mr. CHAPLIN, in answerto Mr. HARRY SAMUEL, maintained as a reason for his non-intervention that the department of which he was the

official head had only to do with the prevention of the

disease and not with its treatment. The Home Office

appears to have adopted a similar attitude, for it is nowover twelve months since we first drew attention to the

subject, and nothing has been done. Fortunately, however,there are public bodies who are f Lilly at one with us in

appreciating the importance of having a common standard for, and control of the strength of, antitoxins.

There can be no doubt that, partly as the result of ouraction in this matter and partly owing to improvements inthe methods of production of antitoxin, there has been amarked rise in the antitoxic value of the serum that has

been put on the market in this country, which may now beheld to compare very favourably with the antitoxic serumprepared abroad. In fact, with the exception of the strongestforms prepared in the German la’ooratories, it may be said tobe equal to any on the market. This is a most satisfactoryoutcome of our protest-for protest it was-that the serums

obtained in this country were not only of comparativelylow antitoxic value, but that they differed very greatly fromone another, and were not sent out, even from the same

establishments, of constant strength, with the result that

as there was no strength marked on each sample bottle the

practitioner was left in grave doubt as to the dose to be

administered and the antitoxic value of each dose sent

out. We believe that most of these objections have nowto a great extent been removed, but there still remains thefact that no official comparison of the various serums

1 THE LANCET, July 18th, 1896.

is at present available, and we therefore look upon it;

as very satisfactory indeed that the Royal Colleges of

Physicians of London and Surgeons of England are-

making arrangements to test any antitoxin that maybe sent to them, and to send out with such anti-

toxin a certificate of strength and purity. Even now from

time to time we receive queries as to which serum is the

best, which contains the greatest number of units in a,

definite quantity, and which has been found to give the bestresults. Now that there is the prospect that a central

authority will take the matter up there should be no.

difficulty in obtaining this information, and medical practi-tioners will be satisfied that all antitoxins with which a.

certificate is sent out have been standardised in the same

way, and that therefore a knowledge as to the relative

number of units contained in a given quantity of different

samples of serum may be arrived at by a simple comparison ofcertificates.

It may be argued that the preparation of antitoxin has.

improved so much that it is now unnecessary to have such

accurate central control. It has been found, however, evenin Germany, where there has been such long experience ofthe manufacture and testing of antitoxin, that differences of

opinion are constantly arising between those who manufac-ture the antitoxin and those with whom rests the control

under Government, and it is only the fact that all the-

serums must pass through the hands of Professor EHRLICEand his assistants that keeps the relative, and approximatelythe actual, strength of the antitoxic serums at a constantlevel. That the process of testing is not by any means a

simple one is now fully recognised, and Professor EHRLICH;who has been working at the subject for the last four or five-

years, has only recently published a method differing verymaterially from his original method, by means of which he isable to get more accurate and constant results than he has,hitherto been able to obtain. It appears to be a compara-

tively easy matter to obtain accurate relative results in anysingle series of experiments where the same test-toxin

standardised from time to time is used, and where exactly the-same conditions of experiment are adhered to ; but the diffi-

culty hitherto appears to have been the maintenance of thesame standard where fresh test toxins have to be obtained.

Frofessor EHRLICH, by the application of his new method and’by careful selection of his test-toxins, seems to have overcomesome of the difficulties that up to the present have stood inthe way of those engaged in testing antitoxic serums, and it is,now possible to determine, not merely the relative, but theactual, strengths of antitoxic serums with a fair degree of

accuracy, so that, with the allowance for an error of from5 to 10 per cent., every serum should be up to the strengththat is claimed for it by the manufacturers.

it will be remembered that in our report we stated thatthe relative strengths of antitoxins was generally indicated,but that it should be distinctly borne in mind that thestandard used was an arbitrary one, and that the results-

obtained might not be absolutely correct ; but our Com-

missioners went on to say: "The astounding variation irthe quality of the serum supplied by different makers.

and the puzzling way in which the antitoxin from

certain sources varied from time to time" were con-

stantly making themselves evident and "that the results