820 
MISCELLANEA. 
air decomposes iodide of potassium, iodine in small quantities is set free, while hydrate 
of potassa is found in the liquid. (2.) This decomposition is limited, and does not, even 
when a large quantity of oxj'gen is present, increase, because a portion of the iodine set 
free enters again into combination with the caustic potassa set free, forming iodide of po¬ 
tassium and iodate of potassa. (3.) The testing for ozone by means of a solution of 
iodide of potassium and starch (or paper prepared therewith) is of no value whatever, 
unless care has been taken'to exclude direct sunlight.— The Chemical News. 
Epsom Salts.—M. Lalieu (Bull, de Therap.), for the purpose of disguising the 
bitterness of this salt, recommends the addition of a small quantity of coffee to be boiled 
in the solution of the salt for a few minutes.— Med. Times and Gazette. 
Preservation of Drugs from Bamp.-In the ‘Bulletin de Therapeutique’ of Oc¬ 
tober 16th, M. Stanislas Martin recommends the following method:—Small wooden or 
tin boxes full of quick-lime, and having their lid perforated with holes, are to be placed 
in every box or drawer containing drugs liable to be injured by damp. The air of these 
receptacles soon becomes dried, and when the lime has become hydrated, it must be 
replaced by new quick-lime. In the same way deliquescent salts may be preserved, as, 
for example, chloride of gold. The phial containing the salt is to be placed inside 
another of double its capacity, filling the space with lime, and corking hermetically. 
A New Poison. —At a recent meeting of the California Academy of Sciences, Dr. 
Stout presented some specimens of an unknown umbelliferous plant, popularly known 
as “wild parsnip,” which had been sent to him from Ruby Valley, Nevada, by Lieute¬ 
nant Carpenter, of the United States Army. Three men had eaten some of the root; 
in about half an hour they were seized with vomiting, followed soon by convulsions 
and unconsciousness. Two of them, who had eaten each a whole root, died at the 
end of about an hour and a half; the other, who had taken a small portion only, re¬ 
covered. The symptoms are described by Lieutenant Carpenter as resembling, with 
the exception of loss of consciousness, those of strychnia-poisoning ; the hands were 
clenched, the face distorted, and the head thrown back almost under the back of the 
neck. The plant grows in marshy places, and smells and tastes like a parsnip.— 
British Medical Journal. 
Removal of BJitra,te cf Silver Stains from Woven Tissues. According to 
M. Grimm, chloride of copper completely removes, even from coloured woven cotton 
tissues, stains occasioned by nitrate of silver; the tissue is to be afterwiirds washed with 
a solution of hyposulphite of soda, and next thoroughly washed with water. From 
white cotton and linen tissues, nitrate of silver stains are more readily and effectually re¬ 
moved by applying dilute solution of permanganate of potassa and hydrochloric acid, 
followed by washing with hyposulphite of soda solution, and rinsing in plenty of fresh 
water. By these means the use of the highly poisonous cyanide of potassium is rendered 
unnecessary.— Polyt. Notizblatt. 
Paraffin for Protecting Vessels in Crystallizing. —M. Franz Stolba, of 
Prague, suggests the use of paraffin as a coating to vessels of glass or porcelain when 
these are acted upon by certain liquids to be set aside for crystallization. The paraffin is 
put into the capsules, previously well dried and heated till it commences to boil; the 
vessels are then turned about so as to bring the paraffin in contact with the whole of 
the interior surface and then empty out the surplus. After cooling, it is found to hold 
well, and the vessels are ready for use. Of course the solutions to be crystallized must 
not be heated, but left to spontaneous or vacuum evaporation.— Journ. de Chim. Med ., 
Aodt 1868, and Amer. Journ. Pharm. 
"Utilization of "Waste. —We learn from the ‘ Athenseum,’ March 19, that an ex¬ 
ample of the utilization of waste has been afforded by a firm of photographers at (Wake¬ 
field, who, for the last three years, have carefully collected their defective pictures, 
clippings, sweepings, washings, etc., burning the former, from time to time, to ashes, 
and precipitating the latter by common salt. To every pound of residue thus obtained, 
half a pound each of carbonate of potash and soda crystal in powder was added, and the 
whole fluxed. Two bars of pure silver, al’oyed with a little gold, were thus obtained, 
weighing together 170 ounces troy, which have realized £44. Is. Id. 
