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30 : PYORBHCEA AXVEOLARI& COCAINE. A saturated solution of cocaine in water may be used effect- ively for obtunding sensibility in gum or other soft tissues, which sometimes is advantageous in preliminary manipulations, but seldom can be made effective to reduce sensibility in the pericementum or cementum. But cocaine may be made effect- ive for these tissues, even to the apices of roots, without hypo- dermic administration or danger of any ill effects, and so thor- oughly obtund all parts involved that an operation of consid- erable magnitude may be carried to completion without notable discomfort to the patient. The preparation of cocaine that in my hands has produced the very best results, and with greater uniformity, upon the pericementum and even upon the cementum itself, is a solu- it is a saturation, tion of the alkaloid in Squibb's chloroform ; but attains a strength of only about 8 per cent. It is pre- pared as follows Put half an ounce of the chloroform in a suitable bottle, add freshly pulverized hydrochlorate of cocaine, shaking and waiting a few seconds after each addition of the alkaloid, un- til the solution clears. To this solution add six to eight drops each of oils of cloves, cassia and menthol, and to this add ten drops of Mary Stewart extract or some other of equal strength of flavor. The idea is to perfume the solution and render it agreeable. Although a saturation of cocaine in chloroform cannot ex- ceed a strength of 8 per cent., yet the addition of the essen- tial oils and flavoring extract increases the solvent property