GLEANINGS  FROM  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
419 
solution  of  sulphate  of  iron  and  zinc,  to  precipitate  the  lime,  and 
evaporating  the  filtrate  to  the  consistence  of  an  extract,  which 
is  exhausted  by  alcohol ;  the  alcoholic  solution  is  concentrated, 
and  the  residue  taken  up  by  boiling  water,  which  on  cooling  de- 
posits the  podophyllin. — Ihid.^  No.  20. 
Ahietit  is  the  name  given  to  a  sweet  principle  by  F.  Rochleder, 
which  he  discovered  in  the  leaves  of  Abies  pectinata  ;  it  resem- 
bles mannit  in  appearance,  but  diflfers  from  it  considerably  in  its 
solubility  and  composition,  which  is  CijHgOg. — Archiv  der 
Fharm.,  1869,  Juni,  263,  from  Akad.  z,  Wien,  1868,  57. 
Horse-chestnut  leaves,  according  to  Rochleder,  contain  a  tannin 
which  is  also  found  in  tormentilla  root ;  in  the  former  it  is  con- 
verted into  9escigenin,  Q^J^^O^^  in  the  latter  into  kinovic  acid, 
C^gHgsOa.— aem.  Centralhl  1869,  241—243,  from  Ber,  d. 
Werner.  Akad.  Ivii,  604. 
IsopMoridzin. — The  leaves  of  the  apple  tree  contain  isophlo- 
ridzin,  according  to  Rochleder,  which  is  isomeric  with  the  phlo- 
ridzin  of  the  bark  of  the  root  and  trunk.  By  dilute  acids  it 
yields  isophloretin,  of  the  same  composition  as  phloretin,  but 
readily  soluble  in  ether.  Phloridzin  belongs  to  the  salicylic,  iso- 
phloridzin  to  the  benzoylic  series,  and  this  transformation  appears 
to  be  a  function  of  the  leaves,  as  the  first  step  towards  forming 
the  amygdalin  in  the  seeds. — Ibid.,  244,  from  Ibid.,  779. 
Nitric  Ether. — While  experimenting  on  the  products  of  re- 
duction of  this  ether  by  tin  and  muriatic  acid,  W.  Lossen  found 
the  following  process  yielding  good  results  .  One  litre  nitric  acid, 
sp.  gr.  1-4,  is  heated  to  boiling  with  15  grm.  nitrate  of  urea. 
After  cooling,  for  every  400  grm.  of  the  acid  300  grm.  absolute 
alcohol  and  100  grm.  nitrate  of  urea  are  added,  one-half  of  the 
mixture  is  distilled  ofi",  and  then  a  similar  mixture  of  acid  and 
alcohol  is  introduced  through  the  tubulure,  to  compensate  for 
that  which  is  distilling  off.  In  this  way  several  pounds  of 
nitric  ether  may  be  obtained  in  a  day ;  100  grm.  nitrate  of  urea 
are  sufficient  for  12  to  15  lbs,  ether,  when  it  must  be  re- 
placed by  a  fresh  portion. — Ibid.,  348,  from  Zeitschr.f.  Chem., 
N.  F.  iv,  403. 
To  distinguish  gum  senaar  from  gum  araUc,  which  latter  is 
