GLEANINGS  FROM  GERMAN  JOURNALS.  299 
chloride  of  silver  by  pure  zinc.  When  the  liquid  ceases  to  be- 
come turbid  with  muriatic  acid,  it  is  poured  off,  the  sediment 
washed  by  decantation  with  water,  the  zinc  removed  by  passing 
the  residue  through  a  funnel  loosely  stopped  with  glass,  the 
powdered  silver  digested  with  muriatic  acid  and  afterwards 
washed  successively  with  water,  ammonia  and  water.  An  am- 
moniacal  solution  of  nitrate  of  silver  containing  copper  yields 
likewise  pure  silver,  if  the  whole  amount  of  zinc  requisite  for 
effecting  the  reduction  is  not  added  ;  the  silver  is  obtained  first, 
after  which  the  copper  is  slowly  reduced. — Ibid,  64. 
Alkaloid  by  fermentation. — Bruche  suggested,  a  few  years  ago, 
that  an  alkaloid  was  formed  during  fermentation.  J.  Oser  fer- 
mented 50  pounds  pure  cane  sugar,  and  obtained  11.747  grm.  of 
the  gold  double  salt  — 4*846  grm.  of  the  base;  the  composition 
of  which  appears  to  be  Q^^^^^.  The  muriate  yields  in  vacuo 
colorless  scales  of  a  somewhat  burning  and  bitter  taste,  which 
are  very  hygroscopic,  and  on  exposure  turn  brown.  Since  the 
base  must  have  been  generated  from  the  yeast  (pure  yeast  con- 
tains no  alkaloid),  it  follows  tnat  it  is  contained  in  all  fermented 
liquids,  but  being  reanily  decomposed,  it  may  be  converted  into 
trimethylanin,  which  was  found  by  E.  Ludwig  in  wine. — Cliem. 
Centralbl.  1819,  141,  142  from  Wien,  Sitzungsber,  Ivi,  489. 
Test  for  Morphia. — Almen  found  (N.  Jahrbuch  f.  Pharm. 
XXX,  37,)  that  Frohde's  test  for  morphia  (beautiful  violet  color 
with  sulphuric  acid  containing  molybdic  acid)  is  applicable  also 
to  most  morphia  salts  ;  the  same  color  is  likewise  produced  by 
opium  and  by  extracts  of  opium  which  contain  no  morpliia. — 
Ibid.  11. 
Test  for  Salicin  iyi  Quinia. — E.  Parrot  recommends  (Zeitschr. 
f.  Anal.  Chem.  v,  287)  to  distil  a  few  grains  of  the  suspected 
quinia  with  4  c.  c.  of  a  cold  saturated  solution  of  bichromate  of 
potassa  and  two  c.  c.  of  sulphuric  acid  prepared  from  1  vol. 
concentrated  acid  with  4  vol.  water.  The  boiling  is  continued 
for  one  or  two  minutes,  so  that  no  sulphuric  acid  is  carried  over. 
Salicylous  acid  is  formed  if  salicin  is  present,  and  the  distillate 
