GLEANINGS  FROM  FOREIGN  JOURNALS. 
17 
Take  of  iodine,       ....      126-5  grains,  troj. 
"     iron  filings,       .       .       .  61-7 
"     distilled  water,   .       .       .      308-6  " 
^'     honey  syrup,  (simple  mellite),  1080*  " 
"     tartaric  acid,     ...  7-5      "  " 
Mix  the  iodine,  iron  filings  and  water  in  a  matrass,  then 
agitate  till  the  liquid  takes  a  green  color,  filter  and  add  the 
mellite  and  tartaric  acid. 
This  solution  contains  one-tenth  of  its  weight  of  iodide  of 
iron.  Mr.  Jeannel  also  states  that  the  addition  of  one  two- 
hundredths  part  of  tartaric  acid  to  colored  syrup  of  iodide  of 
iron  clears  it  and  removes  partially  its  inky  taste. — Jour,  de 
Fharm,,  Nov.  1868. 
Crystallized  G-lycerin.  M.  Werner  has  succeeded  in  crystal- 
lizing glycerin  anew,  a  quality  of  that  substance  which  has  been 
doubted  ;  he  succeeded  neither  by  agitation  nor  by  cold.  As  he 
had  recognized  the  presence  of  chlorine,  he  got  the  idea  of  intro- 
ducing some  bubbles  of  chlorine  into  the  glycerin  of  commerce, 
and  then  he  obtained  little  octahedral  crystals,  very  refractive, 
very  hard  and  crackling  between  the  teeth,  but  they  are  deprived 
of  the  sweet  taste  of  glycerin,  which  is  the  same  when  they  are 
fused. — Zeitsohrift  fur  Chemie,  June  17,  1868. 
Alcohol  from  Lichens.  M.  Stenberg,  knowing  that  the  cellu- 
lose of  lichens  is  transformed  into  glucose  more  readily  than 
that  of  wood,  he  has  utilized  the  enormous  quantities  of  Swedish 
lichens  by  transforming  them  into  alcohol.  He  obtained  the 
best  results  with  Qladonia  rangifera^  H.,  boiling  it  twelve  hours 
with  water  containing  12*5  per  cent,  of  SO^,  HO  to  obtain  66 
per  cent,  of  glucose.  The  glucose  has  an  agreeable  taste,  but 
the  alcohol  possesses  a  taste  of  almonds. — Jow.  Prakt.  Chem. 
and  Jour,  de  Fharm, 
The  use  of  Grlycerin  as  a  Water  Bath  has  been  suggested  by 
M.  Vogel,  {Neues  Mepert  Pharm.  1868)  for  temperatures  above 
but  near  212°  Fahr.,  as  it  does  not  emit  such  disagreeable  odor 
as  oils  or  paraffin  ;  by  the  admixture  of  water  the  points  of  ebul- 
lition may  be  made  to  vary. 
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