NEW TEST SOLUTION 1'OR SUGAR. 
189 
good experiments, however, have been made in the course of 
the past year by M. Papillon, and are recorded in the Comptes 
Rendus. In one of these a young pigeon was dieted on dis¬ 
tilled water to which hydrochlorate, carbonate, sulphate, and 
nitrate of potash were added, and with grain made into a 
paste with strontia. The bird remained in perfect health for 
nearly eight months, when it was killed, and an analysis made 
of its bones, with the following results :—In 100 parts there 
were of lime 46'75, of strontia 8*45, of phosphoric acid 4T80, 
and of phosphate of magnesia T80; residue T10. In a 
second experiment a white rat ten days old was subjected to 
a similar regimen, except that phosphate of alumina was sub¬ 
stituted for the strontia given to the pigeon in the propor¬ 
tion of about a grain and a half per diem. The animal 
remained to all appearance in good health for about six weeks, 
when it died suddenly in convulsions. An autopsy of the 
bones showed that in 100 parts there were of alumina 6*9*5, 
and of lime 41T0 parts. Another animal of the same litter 
was supplied with phosphate of magnesia instead of phosphate 
of alumina, and was killed at the same time. Analysis of its 
bones showed the presence of magnesia in the following pro¬ 
portions in 100 parts:—Magnesia 3‘56, lime 46T5. In all 
the animals the appearance presented by the bones was 
natural, and they seemed to possess their ordinary physio¬ 
logical peculiarities.— Lancet. 
NEW TEST SOLUTION EOR SUGAR. 
The author recommends the use of glycerin in place of 
tartaric acid for the preparation of an alkaline copper solu¬ 
tion for the detection of sugar. Glycerin entirely prevents 
the precipitation of oxide of copper, and the solution pre¬ 
pared with it has the advantage of being less liable to altera¬ 
tion when kept than the tartaric solution is. 
To prepare a test liquid of this kind 16 grammes of sul¬ 
phate of copper should be dissolved in 64 c.c. of water; to this 
solution is gradually added 80 c.c. of soda solution (1*34 sp. 
gr.), then 6 or 8 grammes of glycerin, which redissolves the 
hydrated oxide of copper that had been precipitated. 
This liquid should not become turbid when diluted with 
two thirds of bulk of water, nor when boiled. 
The copper solution may also be prepared by dissolving 
hydrated oxide of copper in a mixture of glycerin and caustic 
soda. The hydrated oxide is best obtained by adding soda 
solution to an ammoniacal solution of sulphate of copper, 
washing the preciptitate, and drying over oil of vitriol. 
