I HE ALUMNI JOURNAL, 



307 



further in the same direction. In fact, Khar- 

 toum is nearer, as anyone acquainted with the 

 map knows, to Kordofan, which gives the finest 

 gum, than to Dongola, and lies in the route 

 from the Kordofan district to El Dabbeh, 

 whither much of the fine gum has gone on its 

 way to Egypt, 



That this result will follow from the proposed 

 emporium is denied by some of the importers, 

 who urge that until Khartoum is reached the 

 gum routes cannot be considered as open, and 

 who also point to a natural failure of supplies, 

 through excessive rains, as likely to keep prices 

 up. — British and Colonial Druggist. 



German Pharmaceuticai, Society. — Dr. 

 Dieterich, at the October meeting of this 

 society, read a paper " Considerations on the 

 Improvement of Methods of Testing Resins." 

 I, Peru balsam; 2, ammoniacum. In the case 

 of the former he considers it desirable to esti- 

 mate (i ) the specific gravity (2) test according 

 to the German Pharmacopceia; (3) estimate 

 the "saponification number," using strong 

 alcoholic potash and petrol benzine in the cold; 

 determine (4) the acid number; (5) the matter 

 insoluble in ether; (6) the amount of resin and 

 cinnamein; and (7) the ester-number. From 

 these figures he obtains a fair idea as to the 

 purity of a sample. The saponification value 

 should be 218-259; the acid value, 68-So; the 

 matter insoluble in ether, 1.5-3. P^r cent., and 

 the proportion of resin to cinnamein, i : 2 to 

 I : 5. Figures outside these limits point to 

 sophistication. In ammoniacum, besides the 

 official tests, he estimates the loss at 100 per 

 cent, the ash, saponification, resin, gum and 

 acid values. Dr. H. Thoms, Privatdocent of 

 the University of Berlin, read at the same 

 meeting a paper on toxicological work. He 

 fiads a modification of Kippenberger's chloro- 

 form method of extracting alkaloids, using 

 acetic ether instead of chloroform to give good 

 results. He describes compounds of mercuric 

 chloride (used to precipitate), with cafiein 

 and antipyrin. The work was undertaken in 

 conjunction with his pupils. He also read 

 further papers on "The Examination ofDul- 

 cin," and on "The Analysis of a Spurious Mark 

 Piece (is.)," in which he found 35.45 per cent, 

 tin and 65.77 P^r cent, antimony. — British and 

 Colonial Druggist. 



A SIMPLE METHOD FOR OBTAINING A 

 LOW TEMPERATURE.* 



By C. Edward Sage, F C .S. 

 Having frequent necessity to observe the be" 

 havior of oils and fatty acids at a low tempera" 

 ture, I have been led to construct a simple 

 piece of apparatus which enables one to reduce 

 the temperature of a sample in a very short space 

 of time. 



A six-ounce wide mouthed flask, or bottle, is 

 fitted with a good cork, which is to be pierced 

 with three holes, one of which is to be large 

 enough to admit a test tube; the other two are 

 for the admission of two glass tubes. The inlet 

 tube passes to the bottom of the flask, and the 

 exit one passes only a short distance through 

 the cork. The flask is partially filled with ether, 

 and the sample to be examined is placed in the 

 test tube together with a thermometer. Air is 

 now forced into the flask by the inlet tube and 

 made to bubble through the ether, whereby it 

 exposes a large surface for evaporation, and as 

 this takes place very rapidly the latent heat 

 absorbed soon reduces the temperature of the 

 sample. Instead of forcing air through the 

 inlet tube the exit may be attached to a Sprengel 

 pump and the air sucked through. To prevent 

 the waste of ether as far as possible, it is pref- 

 erable to attach the exit tube to a condenser, 

 through which water is running, and to wash 

 the air sucked through by means of cold water 

 in a wash bottle ; this water will, on subsequent 

 warming, yield a small quantity of ether, but 

 the larger proportion is kept back by the con- 

 denser. I have had several of these freezing 

 bottles in use during the past summer, and 

 found no difficulty in maintaining a tempera- 

 ture of 4° to 5°C, for a long period even during 

 the hottest weather, and if test tubes were filled 

 with water, it was converted into ice in a few 

 minutes, with the expenditure of very little 

 ether. — Phar. Jour. 



It will pay you to subscribe to the 

 ALUriNI JOURNAL. 



BOARD OF PHARHACY. 



At the la.st examination, held Nov. 9, 

 the following applicants passed ; C. C, 

 Heffley, Emil Paarmann, A. G. Shop- 

 pach. 



During the month twenty-nine phar- 

 macists were registered. The next ex- 

 aminations will be held on Dec. 14, at 

 9 A.M. 



* A paper read before the Chemists' Assistants Asso- 

 ciation of London. 



