Am'ja°n.ri£9.arm }     Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  21 
or  zinc  the  odor  of  oil  of  bitter  almonds  will  be  developed. — Schim- 
mel  &  Co.,  Pharm.  Centralh.,  1888,  537. 
Antiseptic  sponges  for  gynaecological  operations. — The  sponges  are 
placed  for  2  hours  in  a  solution  composed  of  corrosive  sublimate  1*0, 
carbolic  acid  5*0,  alcohol  60*0,  water  500*0 ;  after  expression  they  are 
allowed  to  dry  in  the  air  and  may  be  impregnated  with  one  of  the  fol- 
lowing solutions :  I.  Boric  acid  15*0,  boiled  water  500  ;  II.  Tan- 
nin 30,  boiled  water  500*0;  III.  Solution  ferric  chloride  40" 0, 
boiled  water  500.0.— Pharm.  Centralh.,  1888,  558. 
Filicic  Acid. — G.  Daccomo  prepared  the  acid  by  agitating  the  ethe- 
real extract  (oleo-resin)  with  a  mixture  of  two  volumes  95  per  cent, 
alcohol  and  one  volume  ether,  which  precipitated  the  acid  as  a  brown 
resinous  mass.  After  purification  a  glistening,  odorless  pale-yellow 
crystalline  powder  was  obtained,  melting  at  179-180°.  Heated  above 
100°,  it  assumes  a  golden  color,  taking  the  original  color  again  on 
cooling.  Insoluble  in  water,  sparingly  soluble  in  absolute  alcohol ; 
more  soluble  in  glacial  acetic  acid,  ether,  amylic  alcohol  and  toluol ; 
easily  soluble  in  chloroform,  carbon  disuiphide  and  benzol.  Its  form- 
ula is  CHH1605.  Heated  in  a  sealed  tube  to  170-190°,  it  is  decom- 
posed into  isobutyric  acid,  and  a  red  substance,  having  the  formula 
C20H18O7.  C14H16O5+H2O=C4H8O2+C10H10O4.  Two  molecules  of  the 
last  substance,  by  loss  of  one  molecule  of  H20,  give  the  compound 
C20H18O7.  By  oxidation  with  K2Mn208,  and  also  with  HN03,  butyric 
and  oxalic  acids  are  formed.  If  the  compound  C20H18O7  be  allowed 
to  stand  several  days  with  HN03,  from  the  solution  can  be  obtained 
pearly  scales,  melting  between  198°  and  202°,  sublimable,  the  subli- 
mate melting  at  127-129°  ;  by  analysis  found  to  be  phthalic  acid  ; 
oxalic  acid  is  also  formed  by  this  oxidation.  These  reactions  indicate 
that  filicic  acid  is  the  isobutyrate  of  oxynaphthoquinone. — Ber.  d.  d. 
Chem.  Ges.,  1888,  2962. 
Cantharides. — Baud  in  has  found  that  this  drug  appears  in  the  mar- 
ket, partially  deprived  of  the  cantharidin  by  extraction  with  a  men- 
struum containing  sulphuric  acid  ;  the  ash  then  contains  an  undue 
amount  of  sulphate.  In  determining  the  cantharidin,  he  recommends 
it  to  be  carried  out  in  two  stages  ;  first,  exhausting  with  chloroform, 
which  removes  the  free  cantharidin,  and  then  with  chloroform  con- 
taining 2  per  cent.  HC1,  which  dissolves  the  combined  cantharidin. 
Cantharides  contain  about  1  per  cent,  total  cantharidin,  0*72  per  cent, 
free,  and  about  0*3  per  cent,  combined. — Apoth.  Ztg.,  1888,  921. 
