October 22, 1870.3 THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
325 
the black oxide of copper to the state of suboxide. Cane 
sugar is converted into grape by boiling with weak sul¬ 
phuric acid, and it can then be easily tested by the stan¬ 
dard solution. It sometimes becomes necessary to test 
for sugar in diabetic urine; this is accomplished in various 
ways. One of them, called Trommers’ test, is as follows : 
—Add caustic potash, and filter if necessary, then dilute 
solution of sulphate of copper in small quantities; the 
precipitate that first forms dissolves on stirring, and the 
solution becomes azure blue, but after standing, a fawn- 
coloured precipitate of suboxide of copper will be formed. 
The conditions and precautions to bo observed are fully 
given in medical works and need not be repeated here. 
The property of grape sugar to reduce metallic salts is 
made use of for the preparation of silver mirrors. Add 
to the nitrate of silver a few drops of ammonia and then 
some grape sugar, and the metal will be precipitated. 
Chloride of silver can also be reduced by grape sugar, 
and this method affords a way for reclaiming photogra¬ 
phic wastes, and of preparing pure metallic silver. Take 
14 parts of well-washed and still moist chloride of silver, 
24 parts of caustic soda, sp. gr. 1-333, 11J parts ammonia, 
sp. gr. 0-925; to this add, with constant agitation in a 
flask, 71r parts pure honey, or 9} parts grape sugar syrup, 
and let the mixture stand in a warm place until sul¬ 
phuretted hydrogen affords no sign of silver. Decant 
and wash out all traces of chlorine. The reduced silver 
can then bo dried and melted in a crucible. 
Platinum black, finely divided metallic platinum, can 
be obtained from the chloride by adding carbonate of 
soda in excess, and heating the solution for ten minutes. 
The precipitate can be collected in a filter, and then well 
washed and dried. 
Grape sugar crystallizes in warty, cauliflower concre¬ 
tions, composed of hard transparent cubes. It is less 
soluble in water than cane sugar, but more soluble in 
alcohol. Two and a half parts of glucose are required 
to produce the same sweetening effect as one part of cane 
sugar. Sulphuric acid does not decompose it, but forms 
a definite acid with it, sailed sulpho-saccharic acid. It 
forms a double salt with common salt. 
Na Cl,2 (CjoPI^) 0 12 ) + 2aq. 
It also forms definite but unstable combinations with 
the alkaline bases. 
From the foregoing it will be apparent that grape 
sugar can be easily and cheaply prepared, and that it is 
capable of many important uses in the arts if it could be 
manufactured in adequate quantity and at a reasonable 
rate.— Journ. of Applied Chemistry , New York, June, 1870. 
CINCHONA CULTIVATION IN INDIA. 
A return has just been published of the East Indian 
Cinchona cultivation, including all the returns issued 
from April 1866 to 1870, and as was the case with the 
two preceding documents, it contains much useful and 
interesting matter. Beside the Annual Reports of the 
superintendents of the cinchona plantations, there are 
Reports of the Madras and Bombay Commissions, formed, 
for the purpose of testing on a large scale the efficacy of 
the sulphates of cinchonidine, quinidinc and cincho¬ 
nine. The trials were conducted by a great number of 
civil and military practitioners, in stations notably ma¬ 
larious, and in cases which were types of all the forms of 
fever to be met with in the malarious districts of Southern 
India. In the first report of the Madras Commission, it 
is stated that Tip to March, 1867, 1145 cases of paroxys¬ 
mal fever had been treated with those alkaloids. Of this 
number 410 were treated with cinchonine, 359 with 
cinchonidine and 376 with quinidinc. Doses of 8 or 10 
grains daily were found to produce the best results, 
larger doses producing cinchonism. Out of this num¬ 
ber only 4 deaths occurred, and in these cases the fever 
was complicated with pneumonia and diarrhoea; the 
patients being half-starved, emaciated, and completely 
prostrated by the malarious influences which surrounded 
them. Of the remaining 1141 only 27 failed, i. e. about 2 
per cent. In these the fevers were not recent, but the 
systems of the patients were chronically poisoned by 
malaria,—quinine failing equally in many cases. Judging 
from these facts, the Commissioners are of opinion that 
these alkaloids are scarcely inferior, if at all, to quinine. 
The general opinion that cinchonine is a greater irritant 
than quinine, was not found to hold good ; the difference 
between the three alkaloids and quinine being looked 
upon by the Commission as of degree and not of kind. 
From this period to April, 1868, 2472 cases were tried 
with the four alkaloids under precisely similar condi¬ 
tions, in order to make the comparative trial as perfect 
as possible. Of this number, 2445 were cured and 27 
failed. With chemically pure sulphate of quinine, 846 
cases were tried, of which 840 were cured and 6 failed; the 
time taken to effect a cure being from 1 to 7 days, while 
the doses varied from 2 to 20 grains. Sulphate of quini- 
cline was administered in 664 cases, 660 cases were cured 
and 4 failed, the time taken in effecting the cure being 
from 1 to 8 days, with doses of from 2 to 30 grains daily. 
Sulphate of cinchonidine was tried in 403 cases, of 
which 399 were cured and 14 failed ; the time occupied 
being from 1 to 4 days, with doses of 3 to 20 grains. 
Sulphate of chinchonine was used in 559 cases, 546 
were cured’and 13 failed; the time occupied being from 
1 to 8 days, with doses of from 2 to 30 grains. The 
general dose was from 1 to 8 grains. This shows about 
1 per cent, of failure ; but the cases of failure were of 
patients completely saturated with fever. From this it 
will be seen that, with the exception of cinchonine, the 
other alkaloids in their therapeutical and physiolo¬ 
gical action resemble quinine in a remarkable degree. 
Indeed, Mr. Broughton says that for a period of thirty 
years much of the commercial sulphate of quinine, from 
the method employed in its manufacture, would inevit¬ 
ably contain the sulphates of quinidine and cinchonidine, 
and would occasionally even consist entirely of the latter 
salts. All the cases treated have been carefully tabulated 
on a uniform method, and it would appear from the re¬ 
sults given that chemically pure and ordinary commercial 
sulphate of quinine and sulphate of quinidine are equal 
in value; sulphate of cinchonidine only slightly less 
efficacious, and sulphate of cinchonine, though consider¬ 
ably inferior to the others, is a valuable remedial agent 
in fever. Like quinine, they have a tonic effect, help 
digestion and increase the appetite. 
The Bombay Cinchona Commission report that they 
consider all these alkaloids as febrifuges, anti-periodics 
and tonics, and their general effects to be similar to 
quinine, though perhaps in an inferior degree. They 
produce the same effects as quinine to the extent of \ or 
f; the value of the four alkaloids and the doses neces¬ 
sary to produce an equal result being as follows:—Quinine 
3 to 20 grains ; quinidine 5 to 20 grains; cinchonidine 
7 to 20 grains ; cinchonine 7 to 20 grains. There are 
many other interesting features in this valuable report, 
to which we shall allude in a future article. 
MILK OF ROSES. 
In making milk of roses, the chief object should be to 
roduce a perfect emulsion, or one at least which, if it 
jparates after long repose, may be restored to a homo- 
eneous state by slight agitation. Although other per- 
imes may be, and are commonly added to it, the scent of 
>scs should predominate and form its characteristic 
lour. 
1. Almonds (blanched) .I 2 ounce. 
Oil of almonds ) {of each. 
White Windsor Soap ).I 1 drachm. 
Rose water . i pint. 
Make an emulsion; to the strained emulsion add a 
mixture of— 
Essence or spirit of roses 
Alcohol. 
. I fl. drachm. 
.2| fl. ounces. 
