June 1, 1872.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS 
9S1 
For instance, although the last edition of ‘ Pereira’ tolls 
us that “the source of Brazilian isinglass is unknown,” 
it docs not help us much to see the name “ Isinglass,” 
set down in an inland district of Brazil, about equidis¬ 
tant from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, and far from 
any river marked in the map. Tapioca, too, is rather 
vaguely placed—almost alone —in the centre of Africa, 
certainly a part from which at present a very small 
quantity is received. The synopsis of the chemical re¬ 
actions which take place in the preparation of the acids, 
salts, etc., and a synopsis of the elements and salts of the 
British Pharmacopoeia, present that information in a 
compact form, and a scale having on one side the Fah¬ 
renheit degrees, and on the other the Centigrade degrees, 
together with a scale of four inches side by side with one 
of ten centimetres, give a clearer idea of the relations of 
the several systems than can so easily be obtained in any 
other way. The sections under the titles “American 
Eclectic Remedies,” “Granulated Preparations,” “ Sup¬ 
positories,” etc., arc very suggestive of an origin in 
another well-known “ Companion ;” this, however, may 
perhaps be accepted by the author of that work as a com¬ 
pliment. 
In closing our notice of this little book we would sug¬ 
gest that, although the larger part of the work appears 
to be stereotyped, to cancel a page now and then would 
be preferable to the adoption of the clumsy expedient of 
reproducing the errors of former editions and adding a 
slip of errata. The book, however, is so well suited to 
the purpose for which it is issued, that there is little risk 
in predicting that its compiler will have many opportu¬ 
nities of remedying any slight defect it may contain. 
The Chemical Note Book for the Use of Students. 
London: S. Deacon, King Street, Borough. 1872 . 
To those chemical students who regularly take notes 
while at work—and no methodical study of chemistry 
can be carried on in any other way—this book will be 
very useful. It consists of a series of blank forms, in 
which the student can enter a description of the sub¬ 
stance upon which he is experimenting; and of the 
deportment of its solution with such reagents as hydro¬ 
chloric acid, sulphuretted hydrogen, ammonic sulphide, 
ammonic carbonate, sodic phosphate, etc. ; record ad¬ 
ditional experiments for the detection of metallic or non- 
metallic constituents; and finally, supposing his search 
to be successful, the name of the substance and confir¬ 
matory experiments. The forms are bound in a stiff 
cover, and sold at a very moderate price. 
MEETINGS FOR THE ENSUING WEEK. 
Monday . London Institution, at 4 p.m. —“Elementary 
June 3. Botany.” By Professor Bentley. 
Tuesday . loyal Institution, at 3 p.m. —“ Develop- 
June 4. inent of Belief and Custom.” By Mr. 
E. B. Tylor. 
Wednesday ... 'Royal Microscopical Society, at 8 p.m. 
Thursday . Royal Institution, at 3 p.m. —“Heat and 
June 0. Light.” By Dr. Tyndall. 
Chemical Society, at 8 p.m. 
Linnean Society, at 8 p.m. 
Friday . Royal Institution, at 9 r.M. 
Saturday . Royal Institution, at 3 p.m. — “'Chemical 
June 8. Action of Light.” By Professor Roscoe. 
Royal Botanic Society, at 345 P.M. 
The following journals have been received:—The ‘ British 
Medical Journal,’ May 25; the ‘ Medical Times and Gazette,’ 
May 25; the ‘ Lancet.,’ May 25; the ‘ Medical Press and 
Circular, May 28; ‘ Nature,’ May 25 ; the ‘ Chemical News,’ 
May 25; ‘ English Mechanic,’ May 24; ‘ Gardeners’ 
Chronicle,’ May 25; the ‘Grocer,’ May 25; the ‘Journal of 
the Society of Arts,’ May 25; ‘Grocery News,’ May 25; 
‘ Moniteur Scientilique-Quesneville ’ for May ; the ‘ Canadian 
Pharmaceutical Journal ’ for May; the ‘ Leaytmvorth. Journal 
of Pharmacy ’ for May. - 1 
|lotfs artir Quants. 
*** In order to facilitate reference, correspondents arc 
requested to mark their answers in each case with the title 
and number of the query referred to. 
JSo notice can be taken of anonymous communications. 
All queries or answers should be accompanied by the name 
and address of the writer . 
[315].—MOUSTACHE POMADE.—Will any cor¬ 
respondent kindly favour me with a recipe for a pomade 
or paste that will change the colour of a very light or grey 
moustache to a dark brown, or a mouse colour, without 
staining the skin or injuring the hair.— Delta. 
[316].—REMOVAL OF STAINS.—I shall be obliged 
if some reader will kindly give me a form of preparation 
for removing pyrogallic acid and nitrate of silver stains 
from the skin without injuring it.—A. R. 
ADULTERATION OF PEPPERMINT OIL.—It 
is stated by Mr. E. B. Shuttleworth, in the Canadian 
Pharmaceutical Journal (vol. v. p. 272), that large quan 
tities of American oil of peppermint had been imported 
into Canada which, upon examination, was found to be 
adulterated with castor oil and alcohol. The writer 
having submitted 55 lb. to distillation, obtained an oily 
distillate which, when separated, consisted of 18 lb. of oil 
of peppermint of good quality; the residue in the still 
(21 lb.) was found to be castor oil, and the difference 
between tlic sum of these two weights and the original 
quantity represented the amount of alcohol present. A 
mixture of these constituents in the above proportions 
yielded a clear and presentable oil, strongly resembling 
the genuine article. Its density was slightly lower 
(•894 at 60° F.), its reactions witli iodine were precisely 
similar, and it dissolved perfectly in rectified spirit. 
The presence of the fixed oil may, however, he detected 
by the characteristic stain it leaves upon paper, and that 
of the alcohol by agitation with an equal volume of 
water, when a milky emulsion will he produced. 
PREPARATION OF KOUMISS.—The following 
instructions for the preparation of Koumiss have been 
sent to the British Medical Journal by Dr. Townsend, of 
Cork, who says that Koumiss so prepared was used by 
his father, many years since, in the treatment of phthisis, 
and answered well:— 
“ Take one quart of new milk, one noggin of good 
thick milk or fresh butter-milk, and three or four lumps 
of white sugar. Mix all together from jug to jug till 
the sugar is quite dissolved. Put it in a warm place to 
stand for ten hours. It will then he quite thick. Pour 
it again from jug to jug till it is smooth. Bottle it in 
soda-water bottles; let it remain in a warm place for 
thirty-six hours (twenty-four in summer). Use the host 
velvet corks ; tie them down ; shake the bottle well for 
five or six minutes before it is opened. It will have 
whey at the bottom when fit for use. It is to he made 
every day, and taken in quantities. Its fermentation is 
the test of its excellence.’ ’ 
ETHER GLUE.—An excellent liquid glue is made 
by dissolving glue in nitric ether. The ether will only 
dissolve a certain amount of glue, consequently, the so¬ 
lution cannot he made too thick. The glue thus made is 
about the consistency of molasses, and is doubly as tena¬ 
cious as that made with hot water. If a few hits ot 
india-rubber, cut into scraps the size of buckshot, he 
added, and the solution he allowed to stand a few days, 
being stirred frequently, it will he all the better, and 
will resist the dampness twice as well as glue made with 
water.— Scientific American. 
