m 
472  VARIETIES. 
On  a  Modification  of  Vogej/s  Test  for  Quinine.  By  M.  Yon  Klitzinsky. 
— VogePs  test  does  not  always  indicate  quinine  with  certainty  in  organic 
fluids,  as  for  instance  in  the  urine.  Under  such  circumstances  the  quinine 
must  first  be  separated  by  an  excess  of  calcined  magnesia  and  evaporating 
the  fluid  therewith  to  dryness  ;  the  residue  is  extracted  with  a  mixture  of 
1  part  of  alcohol  and  2  parts  of  ether,  and  this  extract  evavorated  to  dry- 
ness, and  the  alkaloid  extracted  from  it  by  means  of  ether.  The  ether  now 
leaves  tolerably  pure  quinine,  which  allows  the  reactions  of  the  following 
series  of  operations  to  be  recognized  with  more  certainty. 
Boiling  water  is  saturated  with  ferridcyanide  of  potassium  (instead  of 
the  ferrocyanide  according  to  Vogel),  and  to  the  solution  whilst  still  hot  five 
times  its  quantity  of  the  strongest  solution  of  chloride  is  added  ;  ammonia 
is  then  added  to  the  blackish-green  solution  until  it  has  a  strong  alkaline 
reaction ;  it  is  then  filtered  from  the  brown  flakes  of  hydrated  peroxide  of 
iron  which  separate.  This  test-fluid  cannot  be  kept  long.  The  fluid  to  be 
tested  for  quinine  is  first  mixed  with  an  excess  of  solution  of  chlorine ;  the 
re-agent  is  then  dropped  in,  when  the  presence  of  quinine  is  indicated  by 
the  production  of  a  beautiful  blood-red  or  violet  color. — Buchner's  Neus  Rep. 
Test  for  Manganese — As  a  test  for  very  small  quantities  of  manganese, 
E.  Davy  recommends  that  a  few  drops  of  a  solution  of  caustic  potash,  in  an 
equal  quantity  of  water,  should  be  placed  on  the  manganese  compound  in 
a  finely  pulverized  condition,  and  the  mixture  heated  to  redness  on  silver 
foil,  by  which  means  the  well  known  green  coloration  is  obtained.  If  the 
manganese  compound  is  in  a  state  of  solution,  the  solution  of  potash  must 
be  added  to  it  on  the  silver  foil.  Ferrocyanuret  of  iron  is  also  a  very  deli- 
cate test.  Equal  parts  of  sulphur  and  the  manganese  compound  are  heated 
to  redness  on  platinum  foil,  dissolved  in  water,  and  the  filtrate  mixed  with 
Ihe  cyanide,  which  produces  a  white  precipitate. — London  Ann.  of  Pharm. 
New  Mode  of  administering  Cod  Liver  Oil. — M.  Sauvan  gives  the  follow- 
ing formula  for  administering  cod-liver  oil,  by  which,  he  says,  the  taste  and 
odor  of  the  oil  is  completely  masked : 
P.    Yolk  of  egg      .        .        .        .        No.  1, 
Sugar     .        «...        60  grammes, 
Orange-flower  water  ...        30  " 
Cod-liver  oil  ...        90  " 
Essence  of  bitter  almonds    .        .        1  drop. 
Med.  News,  from  Ann.  Cliniq.  de  Montjpelier. 
Oil  of  Wormseed. — According  to  the  investigations  of  C.  Volckel,  the 
chief  constituent  of  this  oil  is  an  oil  which  boils  at  347°  Fahr.  When  puri- 
fied with  caustic  potash,  it  has  a  specific  gravity  of  ,919,  is  readily  soluble 
in  alcohol  and  ether,  and  has  the  composition  C)2  H10  0.  The  other  oil, 
mixed  with  this  oil,  cannot  be  obtained  pure,  but  it  contains  more  oxygen 
than  the  previous  one. — London  Ann.  of  Pharm.,  from  Annalen  der  Chemie. 
