22  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  {Am"/a°^iS^rm' 
Piluloe  odontalgics. — Cocaine  hydrochlorate  16*0,  powdered 
opium  64*0,  menthol  16*0,  powdered  althaea  48*0,  mix  with  gly- 
cerin and  mucilage  of  acacia  and  divide  into  pills  each  weighing  0*03. 
One  pill  to  be  placed  in  the  cavity  of  the  tooth. — Apoth.  Ztg.,  1888, 
921. 
Fragrant  sulphur  balsam. — The  medicinal  sulphur  balsam  pre- 
pared by  heating  together  sulphur  with  Venetian  turpentine  and 
oil  of  turpentine,  is  of  a  very  disagreeable  odor  and  taste.  By 
substituting  for  the  oil  of  turpentine,  olive  oil,  a  pleasant  fra- 
grant product  results. — H.  Borntrwger,  Chem.  techn.  Zeitung.,  1888, 
739. 
Atomic  weight  of  tin  determined  by  Bougartz  and  Classen  is  118*8 
(0=15-96)  or  119-1  (0=16).  This  is  the  mean  of  26  (out  of  47) 
determinations  made  by  decomposing  by  electrolysis  SnCl4  +  2  N 
H4C1  and  SnCl4  -f  2  KC1.  The  other  21  determinations  were  made 
by  electrolysis  of  SnBr4  and  oxidation  of  Sn  to  Sn02  but  these  showed 
greater  differences  between  maximum  and  minimum  and  hence  were 
omitted.— Ber.  d.  d.  chem.  Ges.,  1888,  2900. 
Paraffin  in  crude  petroleum,  and  lubricating  and  burning  oils  can 
be  estimated  by  agitating  5-20  cc.  of  the  sample  with  1 00-200  cc. 
glacial  acetic  acid,  collecting  the  separated  paraffin  on  a  weighed  filter, 
washing  first  two  or  three  times  with  the  acid  and  then  several  times 
with  75%  alcohol,  drying  and  weighing  ;  or  the  insoluble  portion  can 
be  dissolved  off  the  filter  by  petroleum  ether  into  a  weighed  beaker, 
evaporated,  dried  and  weighed. — Pawlewshi  and  Fdemonowicz,  Ber.  d.  d. 
chem.  Ges.,  1888,  2973. 
Insect  powder  colored  with  curcuma  can  be  told  by  making  an  alco- 
holic tincture,  concentrating  on  a  water-bath  and  impregnating  strips 
of  filter  paper  with  the  residue.  These  strips  with  boric  acid  give  an 
orange-red  color,  on  addition  of  NaOH  turning  green.  Insect  pow- 
der, composed  of  the  flowers  only,  should  give  an  ash  of  a  decided 
green  color,  due  to  the  pressure  of  manganese  compounds ;  the  stems 
are  almost  free  from  manganese.  Barium  chromate  has  been  used  to 
impart  color  to  the  insect  powder. — C.  Schwarz,  E.  Ritsert,  Pharm. 
Ztg.,  1888,  692,  715. 
Rubber  drains  may  be  hardened  by  immersion  of  the  rubber  tubing 
(red  tubing  is  the  best)  for  five  minutes  in  concentrated  sulphuric  acid 
(whereby  a  dark  brown  color  is  imparted)  washing  with  75  per  cent, 
alcohol  and  disinfecting  by  macerating  in  a  5  per  cent,  carbolic  acid 
