August 27, 1870.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
179 
While the acetic acid is being formed, oxygen from the 
air is taken up, and in that respect this process of acetic 
fermentation differs from the other three processes of 
fermentation which I have described. When you make 
alcohol and carbonic acid from sugar, the air takes no 
part in the process; when you make lactic acid from the 
sugar, the air is not wanted; and when you make butyric 
acid from lactic acid, then again the air may he com¬ 
pletely excluded and the process will go on without it. 
But when you make acetic acid from alcohol, you must 
of necessity allow the free and continuous access of air, 
and the air gives up some of its oxygen to this ferment¬ 
ing alcohol, to transform it into acetic acid and water by 
a true process of fermentation. 
{To be continued.') 
CORK FOR POISON BOTTLES. 
The accompanying draw¬ 
ing represents a very inge¬ 
nious contrivance, which has 
also the merit of being sim¬ 
ple. The wooden stopper a 
has a pin passing through 
it, one end of the pin being 
fixed to the plug d, while the 
other is screwed, so that, by 
means of the winged fitting 
c, the stopper a can be forced 
downwards until it compresses 
the caoutchouc rings b, mak¬ 
ing them bulge out laterally 
(as shown by the dotted lines) 
and press against the neck, so 
that the cork cannot be re¬ 
moved until the winged fitting 
c has been screwed upwards 
to relieve the pressure. 
Lead in Tinfoil.—Tinfoil very rarely indeed con¬ 
sists of pure tin; generally it contains more or less lead. 
According to the resent analysis of August Yogel, who 
has examined a great number of samples from very dif¬ 
ferent sources, it contains from one to nineteen per cent, 
of lead. There are, however, specimens of tinfoil which 
contain so little lead that it hardly gives a reaction with 
the appropriate tests. Since tinfoil is so much used for 
covering articles of diet or of confectionery or of perfu¬ 
mery, it was a matter of some degree of interest to deter- 
.mine whether or not there was any danger of transfer¬ 
ence of lead from the wrapper to the contents. A number 
of experiments on soap, chocolate and different kinds of 
dry sugar, which had been enveloped in tinfoil very highly 
charged with lead, showed that there was no contamina¬ 
tion with lead. Cheese, on the other hand, on account 
of its being moist and being closely in contact with the 
foil, did take up lead. Of course the lactic acid of cheese 
would also favour the taking up of the metal. A point 
worthy of being recorded in connection with this matter, 
is the rapid diminution of the lead towards the centre of 
the cheese. Often plenty of lead was found in the rind 
and none a little way in the cheese.— Repertorium fur 
Rharmacie, von Buchner. 
Capsicine.—The fruit of the Capsicum annuum con¬ 
tains an alkaloid analogous to conia. The peculiar smell 
of this alkaloid is recognizable when extract of capsicum 
warmed with potash.— Repertoire de Rharmacie. 
The Chinese in America.—Lum Ling Wau, a 
native Chinese physician, proposes to settle in New York, 
and enter upon the practice of his profession. He brings 
with him his wife; an interpreter, Lu Sing; two Chinese 
apothecaries, Ah Mok and Ah Sam, and an endless as¬ 
sortment of drugs and medicines.— Philadelphia Medical 
and Surgical Reporter. 
BOOK RECEIVED. 
The Dublin Quarterly Journal op Medical Science. 
No. XCIX. Dublin: Fannin and Co. 
TVe are indebted to correspondents for the following perio¬ 
dicals, containing news’ reports, and other matters of phar¬ 
maceutical interest:—The ‘ British Medical Journal,’ Aug. 20; 
‘Nature,’ Aug. 18; the ‘Chemical News,’ Aug. 19; the 
‘ English Mechanic,’ Aug. 19; the ‘ Grocer,’ Aug. 20; the 
‘ Chemist and Druggist,’ Aug. 15; the ‘ Chemists and Drug¬ 
gists’ Advocate,’ Aug. 20; the ‘ Medical Press,’ Aug. 24; 
‘ Gazette Medicale d’Orient,’ for June:—from the respective 
publishers; ‘ Correspondence with the Board of Trade from 
Mr. F. H. Breidenbach.’ 
tompntau. 
Communications for this Journal , and boohs for review, 
should be addressed to the Editor, 17, Bloomsbury Square. 
*** Mo notice can be taken of anonymous communica¬ 
tions. Whatever is intended for insertion must be authenti¬ 
cated by the name and address of the writer ; not necessarily 
for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith. 
Propessor Redwood’s Annjjity. 
Sir,—I am very sorry to find, from the report of the last 
Council Meeting, that some objection has been made to the 
annuity granted by the Council of the Pharmaceutical So¬ 
ciety to Dr. Redwood. In addition to the annuity, allow me 
to suggest that a fund be raised to secure to the worthy Pro¬ 
fessor one hundred pounds per annum, as a mark of respect 
for his arduous labours in the advancement of pharmacy, 
and his unwearied interest in the welfare of Pharmaceutical 
students. 
I am respectfully yours, 
H. J. Halliday. 
Manchester, August 16, 1870. 
Sir,—I think the thanks of the whole members of our 
Society are due to those gentlemen, especially Mr.Woolley, 
who so strongly, but unavailingly, resisted the motion for an 
annuity to Mr. Redwood; not that I for one moment wish it 
to be thought I undervalue the great service and ornament 
he has been to us all, but this I do think, that it is not just 
to his fellow-editors for him to be singled out for so signal a 
mark. Besides I should very much like to know what is the 
reason of his having been so singled out; perhaps some of 
those who voted our money away can tell us. If for long 
services, are there not many men on the Board who have 
worked as hard and long for the cause ? We shall perhaps be 
called upon to allow them an annuity. 
I hope I shall be acquitted of any feeling in the matter 
other than that of seeing one man, however worthy, picked 
out of others quite as worthy, and who, if one deserve it, all 
deserve it. 
I am, Sir, yours obediently, 
Pharmaceutist. 
Sale of Drugs by Grocers. 
Sir,—In reference to the remarks from Correspondents in 
your Journal respecting the sale of drugs by grocers, allow 
me to offer two suggestions that appear to me likely to go far 
to lessen the evil. 
1st. Let all the chemists of a town or district meet, say one 
evening in each month, and in a friendly spirit talk over trade 
matters. , 
2nd. Let no chemist sell to a grocer any drug at less than 
the fair retail price. I know an instance of a chemist selling 
to a grocer 20 oz. syrup of rhubarb for Is. to sell again. As a 
rule grocers obtain their drugs, in the first instance, from 
retail chemists, therefore it appears to me we have the remedy 
in our own hands. 
Yours truly, 
Cheap and Nasty. 
