FACTS AND OBSERVATIONS. 
607 
if not more than one part of aloes had been present in 5000 
parts of the liquid. The red colour is destroyed by acids, 
but restored again by alkalies. Other caustic alkalies may 
be employed, but none yield such good results as ammonia. 
In the case of beer, the presence of aloes can be demonstrated 
without any previous preparation, provided about fourteen 
grains of aloes had been added to the gallon. 
Nature of the Albumins in Hydrocele. By J. 
Bechamp ( Comt . rend., 88, 608 — 610).—In a former com¬ 
munication published in Compt, rend., 87, the author had 
shown that in all hydroceles, the liquid contains an albumi¬ 
nous matter having a laevogyratory power of 70°. In the 
present paper he states that he has succeeded in separating 
from this albuminous matter two, if not three, distinct albu¬ 
mins. Of these one has a rotatory power of 65’8°, another 
of 72’2 0 . The first is precipitated by monoplumbic acetate, 
and has no action on starch ; the second is precipitated by 
hexplumbic acetate, and renders starch soluble after acting 
on it for one or two hours at 40°. They both differ from the 
albumin of the blood, for the highest rotatory power of any 
of the blood-albumins does not exceed 63° ; moreover, the 
albumins of blood are absolutely insoluble in water after 
their precipitation by alcohol, whilst those of hydrocele, on 
the contrary, are soluble. The author has never found the 
albumins of the blood in the liquids of discharges. In 
such cases, therefore, there is not merely a transudation, but 
a transformation.— Journal of the Chemical Society . 
Testing Drugs. By L. Siebold ( Analyst , 1879, 190— 
191).—The method for the detection of mineral adulteration 
in flour by means of chloroform (C. Himly, Year Booh of 
Pharmacy , 1877) may be applied for the same purpose to 
drugs. The powdered drug is shaken with chloroform when 
the mineral matter sinks to the bottom, and in the cases of 
acacia, tragacanth, starches, myrrh, Barbadoes aloes, jalap, 
saffron, cinchonas, nux vomica, mustard, white pepper, cap¬ 
sicum, and guarana, the drugs float on the top. By pour¬ 
ing the chloroform off, the lower stratum of mineral matter 
may be collected and weighed. 
In some cases, however, such as gamboge, scammony, 
opium, Socotrine aloes, liquorice root, ginger, colocynth, 
coussa, ipecacuanha, cinnamon, and cardamoms, a portion 
of the drug sinks with the mineral matter. The test may, 
however, be applied qualitatively, since adulteration may be 
detected by a careful inspection of the sediment.—L. T. 
O’S.— Journal of the Chemical Society. 
