THE ALUMN/ JOURNAL. 



17; 



Such compounds, as the cresols, thymol, 

 guaiacol, eugenol, etc., yield analogous con- 

 densation products with formaldehyde. 



Saligenin crystallizes in colorless scales or 

 needles (M. P. 86°) ; soluble in alcohol and 

 water. Very feeble bitter taste. V. C. 



Scopolamin. — Raehlmanu recomaiends this 

 as being free from the unpleasant after effects 

 experienced in the use of Atropin. The hydro- 

 bromate in solution of the strength of i to 1000 

 being employed by opthalmogists. It is claimed 

 that this alkaloid is in every respect superior to 

 atropin. Pharm. Centralh. 1894, 34. V. C. 



Tussol. — Antipyrin amygdalate. This salt is 

 claimed to be superior to Antipyrin. Dose for 

 children : i year 0.05-0. i Gm., i to 2 years o.i 

 Gm., over 4 years 0.5 Gm. V. C. 



Brasilin and Haematoxylin. — These two 

 bodies by methylation produce methyl deriva- 

 tives. Other derivatives [as alkyl] are also 

 produced, which are only noticed in substances 

 standing in close relationship to xanthone. 

 Baeyer has also shown that fluorescein and 

 eosin, with respect to a hydroxyl group, behave 

 exactly like the substances of the xanthone 

 ' group, and R. Meyer has pointed out that fluo- 

 ran, the root-substance of fluorescein, is a body 

 of perfectly analogous constitution to xanthone. 

 Therefore, in brasilin and haematoxylin we 

 have compounds similarly constituted, in all 

 probability to xanthone or fluoran. — ^J. Herzig 

 in Monatsh. f. Cheni., 1894, 139. 



Synthesis of Centisin. — Kostanecki and Tam- 

 bor have succeeded in synthesizing a sufBcient 

 quantity for identification. Gentishi (Cj (H, ,,05), 

 the coloring matter of gentian root, loses 

 methyl on boiling with hydriodic acid, formirg 

 gentisein Cj.^HsO-,, in which three hydroxyl 

 groups are found to be present b}' acetylation ; 

 the parent body, gentisin, only containing two. 

 On methylation gentisin gives a monomethyl 

 ether, the same substance being formed by 

 analogously treating gentisein, two methyl 

 groups being introduced during the process. In 

 either case the third hj'droxyl group can be sub- 

 stituted by acetylation or benzoylation, yielding 

 the same product, vrh^th^r gentisin or gentisein 

 be the starting point. On fusion with KOH 

 gentisein forms phoroglucol and hydroquinone 

 carbonic acid, whence the constitution of gen- 

 tisein must be that of the trihydroxyxanthone. 

 The reproduction of gentisein from these two 

 decomposition products is somewhat difficult, 

 but by carefully working with small quantities 

 at a time, using acetic anhydride, the authors 



have succeeded in producing a small quantity, 

 and by careful methylation of gentisein, have 

 converted it into a monomethyl ether, identical 

 in all respects with gentisin. — Ibid.,^v., i. 



Testing Oil 0/ Lemon. — A. A. Barrett 

 finds that the polariscope and refractometer 

 both fail to give results by which one is able to 

 detect adulteration. Turpentine may be so em- 

 ployed with the oil that by a simple proportion 

 a mixture can be made that is indistinguishable, 

 either by means of the polariscope or refracto- 

 meter. The tests for mineral oii, with alcohol, 

 by evaporation on a piece of paper, are delicate 

 and reliable. The direction in which progress 

 is to be looked for now is chemical rather than 

 physical examination. What is wanted is to 

 select some one constituent which is present in 

 constant proportion, and determine the amount 

 of this. — Pharm. Jour. Trans., 1894, 255. 



Nitro- Cellulose Filter Paper. — E. Cramer re- 

 commends the use of filter paper, consisting 

 wholly or partially of nitrocellulose in opera- 

 tions requiring incineration. Such papers oflfer 

 the additional advantage of filtering very rapid- 

 ly, and of not being as hygroscopic as ordinary 

 filter-papers, — '/.citschr. f. Angew Chem., 1894, 

 269. 



Iodine Liniment. — ^J. J. Annery makes a solu- 

 tion of iodine in oleic acid. It is claimed that 

 it will not stain, and is readily absorbed by the 

 skin.^/(9«r Soc. Chem., Ind., 1894, 836. 



Resins and Ethereal Oils. — A. Tschirch has 

 inquired into the formation of these constituents 

 in plants, and examined the following products; 

 Sumatra and Siam benzoin [Styrax benzoin], 

 Peru balsam [Myroxylon pereirce],Tolu balsam, 

 Styrax [Liquidambar orientalis] and Galbanum 

 [Ferula galbanifera, F. rubicaulis, etc.]. When 

 hydrolysed, they yield, on the one hand, aro- 

 matic [chiefly benzoic and cinnamic] acids or 

 alcohols, and a group of "resin alcohols" or 

 "resinol?," on the other. Benzoresino- 

 [CjiiHagOa]; resinotannol [CijiH2o04]; siamre- 

 sinotannol [C12H14OP,]; peruresinotannol 

 [C, sH;,ii05]; storesinol [C^gHi^O]; andgalba- 

 resinotannol [C^H^fiO] were obtained. The 

 termination " tannol " signifies that the alco- 

 hols give the tannin reaction. Resin alcohols 

 yield with aromatic acids, or with other alco- 

 hols,' ethers which seem to be identical with the 

 natural ethereal salts of resins Resins fre- 

 quently contain free acids and alcohols, as well 

 as ethers. The fact that the highly carbona- 

 ceous resins and oils are formed at the ear- 

 liest peiiod of the life of the plant, when all 



