878 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
[April 27, 1872. 
Itotcs Hiii finnes* 
*** In order to facilitate reference , correspondents are 
requested to mark their answers in each case with the title 
and number of the query referred to. 
No notice can be taken of anonymous communications. 
All queries or ansivers should be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer. 
TJNGr. HYDE AEG. OXIDI RUBRTJM AND 
TJNG. HYDRAEG. NITRATIS.—Mr. C. C. Fredigke 
states, in the Pharmacist for Februaiy, that ung. hy- 
drarg. oxidi rubrum may he preserved for an indefinite 
length of time by keeping it beneath a layer of glyce¬ 
rine half an inch thick. He has found ointment so 
treated to have just as fine an orange chrome colour after 
being kept eighteen months as when first made. He 
says also that the ung. hydrarg. nitratis may be pre¬ 
vented from becoming hard by incorporating with it, 
-while warm, one-fourth of its weight of glycerine in 
small quantities at a time, rubbing after each addition 
until all the glycerine is extinguished. Ointment so 
prepared does not lose its fine citrine colour till after a 
year or more. 
PREPARATION OF ABSOLUTE ALCOHOL.— 
Erlenmeyer (Annalen der Chemie und Pharmacie) pro¬ 
poses a slight modification of Mendelejeff’s method 
of preparing absolute alcohol by distilling together 
alcohol having a specific gravity not higher than 0-792 
with pieces of quicklime projecting above the surface, 
which only gives the middle portion of the distillate 
anhydrous. If, however, the alcohol and lime be heated 
by a water-bath for half an hour in a still connected with 
a return cooler, and then the cooler reversed and the 
alcohol distilled, Erlenmeyer states that the entire dis¬ 
tillate is obtained in an anhydrous condition. If the 
alcohol contain more than five per cent, of water it 
must be submitted to the same treatment two or three 
times, but the lime should not at first project above the 
alcohol, and should be present in smaller proportion, as 
the rapid hydration endangers the still. 
MISTURA CRET2E. — The following is the formula 
according to which the specimen of mistura cretae was 
prepared that was exhibited at a recent meeting of the 
Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (see ante, p. 775), in 
perfect condition after having been kept ten months:— 
p, Cretao Praep. 5 SS 
Glycerini §ss 
Pulv. Acaciae jij 
01. Cinnamomi gtt. viij 
Aquae Dist. ^viij 
Mix thoroughly. 
BROMIDE OF CALCIUM.—Mr. James R. Mercein, 
of Jersey City, communicates to the American Journal of 
Pharmacy the following method for the preparation of 
bromide of calcium :—A strong solution of hydrobromic 
acid is produced by passing sulphuretted hydrogen 
slowly into a half-gallon specie jar containing five ounces 
of bromine and two and a half pints of water, through 
a delivery tube touching the surface of the bromine, 
until all the bromine is taken up ; the resulting liquid is 
filtered from the copious deposit of sulphur, gently 
heated in a capsule and again filtered. In order to free 
it from any possible impurity, it is distilled at a sand- 
bath heat until four-fifths has passed over. To the 
hydrobromic acid so obtained, precipitated carbonate of 
lime is added in slight excess ; the solution evaporated 
by a water-bath to a syrupy consistence, removed from 
the bath and stirred till cool. The result is stated to be 
six ounces of bromide of calcium in fine granular powder, 
possessing every characteristic of the salt, and freely 
soluble in twice its weight of water, leaving a mere trace 
of residuum on the filter. The cost of preparation is 
one-fifth the market price of the commercial article, 
which frequently contains some uncombined lime. 
EDIBLE FUNGI.—Meeting a friend some days ago, 
I found him bound upon an excursion to a certain pas¬ 
ture not far from the city, in search of what he called 
“ Jew’s lugs,” with a dish of which, prepared into a kind 
of soup, he is in the habit of regaling himself once, at 
least, in the season in which they are to be found,—the 
early spring. I would be much obliged if you could in¬ 
form me in your correspondence column, to what species 
they belong. The only thing I can find in any of my books 
under the name of Jew’s ears, is Exidia auricula judcc y 
Linn., but they grow upon trees. These, however, grow 
in pastures, and only in &few places, at least hereabouts. 
They grow close to the ground with no stem visible. 
The specimens enclosed are somewhat shrunken, having- 
been kept a few days.—W. M. 
[*** The specimens sent by our correspondent were 
submitted to Mr. M. C. Cooke for examination, who writes 
as follows respecting them:—“ The fungus sent to me is 
Peziza venosa. It is called Jew’s ears in some parts of 
the country, and has long enjoyed the reputation of being- 
edible, as well as Peziza acetabulum. Its odour, when 
stale, is more like that of the mushroom than any other 
Peziza with which I am acquainted. In the Gardeners 
Chronicle , some time since, I think there was a letter 
published vindicating its esculent properties under the 
name of “ Jew’s ears,” but I cite this from memory, and 
am unable to give more precise reference.”— Ed. Ph. J.] 
ADULTERATION OF OIL OF NEROLI. — 
Schramm states (Dingl. Pol. Journ. cci. 375) that co¬ 
paiba oil may be detected in oil of Neroli, if present, by 
mixing a few drops with spirit and burning the mixture 
on cotton wool. When the spirit has burnt off, the 
smell of the copaiba oil can be distinguished.— Journal 
of the Chemical Society. 
DANDRIFF.—The following remedy for this affec¬ 
tion is taken from the New York Druggists’ Circular :— 
Carbolic Acid, 53 s 
Oil of Bergamot, 5 j 
Glycerine, 
In addition, the frequent use of warm water and soap is- 
recommended. See also ante, p. 637. 
BOOKS RECEIVED. 
An Experimental Research on the Antagonism 
Between the Actions of Physostigma and Atropia. 
By Thomas R. Frazer, M. D. Reprinted from the 
Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1872. 
Report on the Sanitary Condition of the City of 
London, for the Year 1870-71. By H. Letheby, 
M.D., Ph. D., etc. Medical Officer for the City of 
London, etc. 1872. From the Author. 
The following journals have been received:—The ‘British 
Medical Journal,’ April 20; tho ‘ Medical Times and Gazette,’ 
April 20; the ‘ Lancet,’ April 20; the ‘ Medical Press and 
Circular,’ April 24; ‘ Nature,’ April 20; the ‘ Chemical News,’ 
April 20; ‘ English Mechanic,’ April 19; ‘ Gardeners’ 
Chronicle,’ April 20; the ‘ Grocer,’ April 20 ; the ‘Journal or 
the Society of Arts,’ April 20; ‘Grocery News,’ April 20; 
the ‘Milk Journal,’ March, 1871 to April, 1872 ; ‘Dublin. 
Journal of Medical Science’ for April; ‘ Proceedings of the* 
Royal Institution’; ‘Philadelphia Medical and Surgical 
Reporter,’ Nos. 784 to 786. 
