December 3, 1870.] THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
457 
[45.]—WATER TEST.—The ordinary practical test is to 
add liq. potassse permanganatis gtt. x to a pint of the water. 
Let it stand twelve hours. If the water be pure, it retains 
its pink colour ; otherwise, it turns greenish or muddy.— 
H. H. P. 
Mr. C. Robinson (Streatham) and R. H. R. (Hougliton-le- 
Spring) recommend a similar plan. 
[*£* This test is extremely crude, and one that cannot be 
depended upon in a matter of such importance as the quality 
-of water for domestic use. 
Probably the readiest and most convenient mode of detect¬ 
ing the presence of organic impurity in water is that intro¬ 
duced by Wanklyn, and fully described in the work reviewed 
last August (see No. 6). 
Another very good method is that suggested by Mr. Heisch 
in the Journal of the Chemical Society for October, 1870, 
p. 32, adding to the water a very small quantity of pure sugar, 
and leaving it for some time in a stoppered bottle. If the 
water be contaminated with any such impurity as would re¬ 
sult from sewage contamination, there will be an influence 
exercised on the sugar as in fermentation, and it will be con¬ 
verted into butyric acid, which can be recognized by its 
smell. In any case, however, the testing of water is an ope¬ 
ration requiring so much nicety of manipulation and fami¬ 
liarity with analytical work, that it should never be attempted 
by any one but a practised analyst.—E d. Pn. J.] 
[46.]—WEATHER-GLASS.—Take a thin glass tube, 12 
inches long and f-inch in diameter, and fill three-fourths of 
it with the following solution :— 
Camphor 5ij 
Nitre 5iss 
Sal Ammoniac 5j 
Proof Spirit BijU 
Solve. The tube may be tied over with bladder if required. 
As a sign of fine weather, the sediment of white flakes will 
settle near to the bottom of the tube, while the liquid will be 
quite transparent above. As a sign of rain , the matter will 
ris,e to the surface of the solution. At the approach of a 
storm, the matter will float on the surface of the solution in 
the form of white flakes, and the fluid will appear in a state 
of fermentation. During frost, the solution will present a 
starry appearance, and during summer or hot weather the 
matter will fall to the bottom as a solid substance. Several 
other predictions might be given, but these glasses as a rule 
are not to be depended upon.— Vincii Amoe Pairiaj. 
Similar answers have been received from T. F. Rest (Cam¬ 
berwell), F. T. G. (Bath). 
In the recipe published last week from Mr. Watkinson, 
££ proof spirit” should have been printed and not “rectified 
spirit,” as the presence of water is required to cause a portion 
of the camphor to be deposited. 
[49.]—EAU DE MILLEFLEURS.—In answer to G. S., 
“ Utile” (Boston) sends the following recipe for eau de mille- 
fleurs - 
R. Essence of Violets lb.j 
„ Jasmine 
„ Bergamot gtt. xx 
Otto of Rose gtt. x. M. 
[52.]—COFFIN’S COMPOSITION POWDER. — G. 
Wrigglesworth (Hull) sends the following copy ot Dr. Coffin’s 
own published formula :— 
R. 
Pulv. 
SJ 
Mix. 
ened. 
Bacc. Lauri ^iv 
„ Zingib. Opt. §ij 
„ Pini Canadensis 
„ Caryophyllarum 
„ Pip. Cayenne 
Dose: a teaspoonful in a cup of hot water, sweet- 
} 
ana qij 
Answers similar to the above have also been received from 
J. Staley (Rochdale) and L. S. (Stourbridge); also one from 
J. Rordass (Driffield), who gives a larger proportion of 
ginger and says that a large quantity is sold in his district. 
[53.]—DISPENSING.—C. F., Winchester. No. 21, p. 419- 
A. P. S. does not think it possible to make a clear, sherry- 
coloured solution with the ingredients given, even with the 
.aid of heat. 
[56.]—HAIR WASH .—“Alumen ” will find the following 
a good and cheap hair wash, presenting at the same time a 
clean appearance:— 
R. Sp. Ammon. Arom., 
Tinct. Cauthar., 
Glycerinse, ana ^ss 
Aq. Rosae ad gyj. 
—A. B. Fletcher, Totton. 
R. Pulv. Sodae Bibor. 5j 
Potass. Carb. 5j 
Tr. Lyttai 5fii 
Sp. Rosmarini 5j 
Aq. Camph. 3vj 
Aq. Rosae ad 5xx. M. 
Scent with essence of bitter almonds and filter.— 
G. W. P., Manchester. 
[59.]—DISPENSING (“ Magnesia ”). No. 22, p. 437. 
If the following modus operandi be adopted by “ Magnesia ” 
he will find no difficulty in obtaining a satisfactory result:— 
Dissolve the quinine with a sufficiency of dilute sulphuric 
acid in a small quantity of the water, and the sulphate of 
iron in a second portion, mix the solutions, and add the sul¬ 
phate of magnesia dissolved in the remainder of the w r ater, 
and finally the tincture of ginger. Thus prepared, a perfect, 
although opalescent solution is obtained. The black precipi¬ 
tate referred to I have been unable to obtain, and should 
suspect it to be tannate of iron, from the admixture of tannin 
with some of the ingredients employed.— Geo. Masson. 
Charles Schmidt suggests to dissolve the gr. xij quin, sulph. 
in a little aq. destill., acidulated with nix acid, sulphur, dil., 
add solut. magnes. sulph. §iij, and having previously mixed 
the ^iss tinct. zingiber, with the same quantity of aq. destill., 
shake together, finally dissolve the gr. xij ferr. sulph. in the 
mixture. 
By adding a little acid, sulph. dil. (enough to effect a ready 
solution of quinioe sulphas), dissolving magnesias sulphas,and 
adding the solutions together, no deposit takes place. The 
ingredients rubbed in a porcelain mortar, and dissolved to¬ 
gether, give a blackish deposit. In this state the addition of 
a drop or two of acid, sulph. dil. produces a fine clear mixture, 
of course rendered opaque by the addition of tinct. zingiberis. 
— John H. Dodds, Walsall. 
I have prepared the prescription which “ Magnesia ” 
gives, but do not get a copious black precipitate. What 
precipitate there is is caused by the insolubility of the 
quinao sulph., and what discoloration there is results from 
the action of the iron on the tinct. zingib. A few drops of 
acid, sulph. dil. will effect a solution and at the same time 
prevent any darkening.—A. B. Fletcher, Totton. 
[*** We do not see that our correspondents would be jus¬ 
tified in adding the acid as suggested.—E d. Pn. J.] 
[61.]—TASTELESS PILLS.—Any information as to the 
method of giving a tasteless covering (non-saccharine and 
unaffected by exposure to air) to pills will oblige—Two In¬ 
quirers. 
[* # * A solution of balsam of tolu and chloroform formsthe 
best coating for pills.— Ed. Pn. J.] 
[62.]— ARTIFICIAL TINCTURE OF MUSK. — W 
Wilson (Devonport) wishes for a formula for making arti¬ 
ficial tincture of musk from the oil of amber. 
[Put into a cup f5j of oil of amber, and add to it, drop 
by drop, f^iiiss of strong nitric acid; let it stand for thirty- 
six hours, then separate and w r ash the resinous matter.— 
Ed. Pn. J.] 
[63.]_GREEN FLUID FOR SHOW BOTTLES.— W. 
W. wishes for a recipe for making a good green fluid for 
show bottles. 
T64.J— COLD CREAM.—“ Alpha ” (Sudbury) desires a 
good formula for making cold cream. 
[65.] —CEMENT.—“ Iodi ” (Sudbury) wishes for a recipe 
for making diamond cement, or a transparent cement foi glass, 
china, etc. 
[66.]—CEMENT FOR INDIA-RUBBER.— “ Vulca¬ 
nite” asks for a formula for a good cement that w r ould fasten 
the ends of pieces of vulcanized india-rubber together. 
[67. _TINCT. PRUNI VIRGINIAN2E — R. 3. D. 
wishes for a formula for the preparation of this tincture. 
