The Council found that the amount of agar-agar in Agar-lac and the identity of the “lactic ferment” are not declared; that the name “Agar-lac” is blown in the glass and that the method of its exploitation will lead laymen to use it to their detriment; that the claims that it “facilitates assimilation of proteids” and that it is of value as an aid to “gastro-intestinal digestion” give a false value to the mixture and that the claims emphasize the action of agar-agar when from the composition it is evident that the phenolphthalein action will predominate; that the name does not indicate its predominating constituent, phenolphthalein, and that the use of a ready-made combination of cathartic drugs, such as agar-agar and phenolphthalein with lactic acid ferments, is unscientific. The Council therefore refused recognition to Agar-lac.--(_From The Journal A. M. A., Nov. 14, 1914._) ANASARCIN AND ANEDEMIN Reports of the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry and Comments Thereon The following reports were submitted to the Council by the subcommittee to which these articles were assigned: ANASARCIN _To the Council on Pharmacy and Chemistry_:--Your subcommittee to whom Anasarcin (Anasarcin Chemical Co., Winchester, Tenn.) was assigned, herewith submits its report: This remedy is offered in two forms: “Anasarcin Tablets,” a pretended combination of the active principles of oxydendron arboreum, sambucus canadensis, and urginea scilla; and “Anasarcin Elixir,” said to contain the active principles of oxydendron, sambucus, hepatica and potassium nitrate. The advertisements of these articles conflict with the rules of the Council as follows: With Rules 1 and 2: The composition of these articles is kept secret, in that the proportion of the ingredients is not furnished. The statement that it contains the “active principles” is misleading, since these are for the most part unknown. With Rule 6: The description of the pharmacologic action of Anasarcin agrees practically with that of squill. No material part of its effects can be attributed to the other ingredients. Nevertheless, the advertisement studiously cultivates the impression that Anasarcin has no relation whatever to the digitalis group in which scilla is commonly placed. The claims are therefore misleading. The claim of its infinite superiority to digitalis, the claims that it cures neurasthenia, eliminates uric acid in rheumatism, and is useful in obesity, cystitis, lumbago and eclampsia, dyspepsia and asthma, and that it works wonders in exophthalmic goiter, appear exaggerated or false. The recommendation of its indiscriminate use in nephritis, for lowering the blood-pressure and the statement (contradicted in the firm’s own literature) that it is not depressing, are actually dangerous.