NOTES AND ABSTRACTS IN CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY. 
29 
ing to the locality of the bed. The flowers are picked off early in the morning; 
the stigmas separated and dried in the shade. This continues every day until 
the season ends. The leaves remain green all winter. The following June the 
beds are cleansed from the decayed leaves, and left until renewing time in 
August. Saffron must necessarily be dear, says Professor Bentley, in an article 
on adulterations published in the ‘ Pharmaceutical Journal,’ and reprinted in 
the May number of the ‘American Journal of Pharmacy,’because it takes a 
great number of flowers to make a pound ; and there are other causes, viz. 
failure of crops from excessive rains or drought, and attacks of the field mice, 
which destroy the bulbs. But withal, when we remember that all our products 
of the garden and farm are liable to failures from various causes, though pro¬ 
bably not to such an extent, I think it can be profitably raised, judging from 
the following two calculations, taken as an average:—On inquiry from some 
of the growers, one informed me that about 3000 flowers, or 9000 stigmas, 
can be raised off a bed 12 X 6 = 72 square feet. Another, that often in a good 
season between 2000 and 3000 flowers can be had in one morning’s picking off 
about 500 square feet, and this continues for a number of mornings, though not 
always with so large a number. These two make about the average result of 
experienced growers. In counting and weighing the stigmas, I find, after 
several trials, that 300 weigh 13 to 14 grains, which would be a yield of about 
420 grains to 72 square feet, or 33 to 36 pounds to an acre. If these calcula¬ 
tions only approximate to correctness, at present prices it will be very remune¬ 
rative to the grower in comparison with many other products.” 
NOTES AND ABSTRACTS IN CHEMISTRY AND PPIARMACY. 
The Saturating Power of Toluidine. 
Professor Wanklyn has published a short note in the ‘Laboratory,’ wherein 
he states that toluidine is absolutely incapable of neutralizing dilute sulphuric 
acid. Taking fifty cubic centimetres of a standard sulphuric acid, he added, 
between three and four grammes of crystallized toluidine, and gently warmed 
the mixture. The toluidine gradually dissolved, but the liquid remained strongly 
acid. It was then sought to neutralize the solution by potash, when it was 
found that the quantity required was exactly sufficient to saturate the 50 c. c. 
of acid taken. Thus the toluidine might just as well have been absent, so far 
as any effect on the saturating power of the acid was concerned. 
Styptic Colloid j a New Fluid for healing Wounds by the first intention. 
Dr. B. W. Richardson has recently communicated to the ‘Medical Times and 
Gazette,’ a long and interesting paper descriptive of a compound fluid designed 
by him for instant and ready use in the dressing of wouuded surfaces,—a com¬ 
pound which he states to be at once a styptic, an antiseptic, and a complete 
means of excluding wounded, abraded, or ulcerated parts of the body from the 
influence of the external air. Some time back, after many experiments with 
Pagliari’s styptic, which he found to be imperfect in action, Dr. Richardson 
was led to study the applicability of collodion to the coating of wounds. This 
agent, however, fulfilled but a small part of the required duty. The principle 
of the action was excellent, but it was evidently necessary, if possible, to com¬ 
bine with the collodion some other substance, which, being soluble in ether, and 
capable of deposit by evaporation, would combine chemically with the blood, 
with the albuminous exudative matter of a wound, or with purulent matter. 
This substance Dr. Richardson found in tannin. A solution of xyloidin and 
tannin in ether constitutes the new fluid. The author states :— 
