PHARMACEUTICAL  GLEANINGS. 
The  blood-red  alkaline  decoction  and  the  washings  contain  a  little 
of  the  alkaloids  and  are  subsequently  treated.  The  bark  is  next 
boiled  in  dilute  sulphuric  acid,  until  completely  exhausted  of  the 
alkaloids.  The  acid  decoction  is  concentrated,  filtered,  and  pre- 
cipitated with  caustic  soda.  The  precipitated  alkaloids  are  next 
combined  with  sulphuric  acid  and  the  sulphates  of  quinia,  quini- 
dine,  and  cinchonia  separated  from  each  other  by  repeated  crys- 
tallization, and  the  quinia  salt,  previous  to  its  last  crystallization, 
is  decolorized  with  pure  animal  charcoal. 
To  obtain  the  portion  of  alkaloids  held  in  solution  in  the  colored 
alkaline  liquors,  they  are  treated  with  muriatic  acid  in  excess, 
filtered,  and  precipitated  with  hydrate  of  lime.  This  precipitate, 
after  being  washed,  pressed,  dried,  and  powdered,  is  treated  with 
benzole,  which  dissolves  the  alkaloids.  The  benzolic  solution  is 
then  agitated  with  diluted  sulphuric  acid,  to  remove  the  alkaloids 
and  the  supernatant  benzole  separated  by  decantation.  The 
alkaloids  are  then  precipitated  from  the  acid  solution  with  caustic 
soda,  and  treated  as  previously  noted  to  separate  the  quinia  salt. 
The  value  of  this  process  is  greater  in  England  where  the  ex- 
cise duty  on  alcohol  is  so  enormous  as  to  make  it  an  important 
object  to  avoid  its  use  in  manufacturing. 
Nickel's  patent  Elastic  plaster. — At  the  same  meeting,  (see 
Pharm.  Journ.  xiii.  213,)  Mr.  Benjamin  Nickels  exhibited  a  new 
sort  of  plaster,  which  is  peculiar  in  having  a  woven  fabric  simi- 
lar to  that  of  stockings,  for  its  basis,Jupon  which  the  plaster, 
which  may  be  of  various  kinds,  is  spread,  in  the  same  manner  as 
when  muslin  or  sheepskin  is  employed  This  plaster  allows  a  free 
expansion  and  contraction  of  the  muscles  and  does  not  impede 
the  circulation,  requires  no  exterior  bandaging,  and  may  be  used 
as  a  tight  strapping  when  desirable.  It  is  particularly  appropri- 
ate to  wounds  and  sores  on  the  face  and  hands  as  it  may  be 
moulded  to  or  laid  on  any  prominency,  cavity,  or  tabulated  parts, 
so  as  to  fit  even  as  the  skin.  The  fabrics  are  made  white,  and 
tinted,  and  of  cotton,  linen,  or  silk  of  any  strength  required. 
BelVs  apparatus  for  crushing  herbs  and  roots. — Mr.  Jacob  Bell, 
editor  of  the  Pharmaceutical  Journal  (vol.  xiii.  210,)  describes  a 
machine  for  crushing  recent  herbs  and  roots,  preparatory  to  ex- 
tracting their  juices  or  to  acting  on  them  with  menstrua.  He 
observes  that  the  most  effectual  mode  of  crushing  herbs  (such  as 
