82  Structure  of  Grindelia  Robusta.  {AmmF^,i^cm' 
muscular  agination.  The  experiments  were  made  on  dogs  and  rab- 
bits.—X?  Union  Med.,  Oct.  4,  1888. 
A  Characteristic  Reaction  of  Bismuth. — A  solution  of 
iodide  of  bismuth  in  iodide  of  potassium  is  sometimes  used,  under  the 
name  of  iodobismuthate  of  potash,  for  the  research  of  the  alkaloids. 
It  gives  insoluble,  orange-yellow  compounds  with  many  natural  inor- 
ganic bases,  but  gives  no  indication  of  the  nature  of  the  alkaloid 
found.  I  have  thought,  writes  M.  E.  Leger,  that  this  would  be  oth- 
erwise should  we  use  such  a  reagent  in  finding  bismuth.  I  used  a  re- 
agent composed  of  cinchonine,  1  gm.;  iodide  of  potassium,  2  gm.; 
distilled  water,  100  gm.  The  cinchonine  is  dissolved  in  water  with 
the  aid  of  a  few  drops  of  nitric  acid ;  the  liquid  is  heated  and 
the  iodide  added.  This  solution,  added  to  one  of  nitrate  of  bismuth 
gives  an  orange  yellow  precipitate.  It  should  be  used  in  excess,  avoid- 
ing solutions  containing  hydrochloric  or  sulphuric  acid ;  it  must  not 
contain  too  much  nitric  acid.  This  reagent  may  be  used  for  metals 
precipitable  by  H2S,  whose  sulphides  are  insoluble  in  sulphhydrate  of 
ammonium.  It  gives,  with  minimum  solutions  of  mercury  greenish- 
yellow  precipitate,  turning  black  with  excess;  maximum  solutions 
give  yellowish-white ;  cadmium,  white  or  yellowish ;  silver,  the  iodide 
if  the  argentic  salt  is  in  excess,  yellow  if  the  reagent  is  in  excess ; 
copper  (minimum)  precipitate  of  cupric  iodide;  maximum,  brown 
maroon,  containing  iodine,  copper  and  cinchonine ;  lead,  sulphur-yel- 
low precipitate,  soluble  in  an  excess  of  nitrate  of  lead,  and  containing 
iodine,  lead  and  cinchonine. — J.  de  Phar.  et  de  Chim.,  Dec.  15,  1888. 
THE  ANATOMICAL  STRUCTURE  OF  GRINDELIA  RO- 
BUSTA.1 
By  Joseph  Beauvais,  Moscow. 
Grindelia  robusta  belongs  to  the  order  of  Composite,  suborder  Tubu- 
liflorse,  and  is  an  herb  with  oblong,  thickish,  light  green  and  toothed 
leaves.  Both  sides  of  the  leaves  have  the  epidermis  covered  with  a 
,  thick  cuticular  layer  and  contain  glands  and  stomata.  The  glands 
consist  of  a  one-celled  base  bearing  the  gland-cell  which  is  filled  with 
resin.    Beneath  the  epidermis  of  both  the  upper  and  lower  surface  is 
1  Translated  from  Berichte  der  Deutschen  Botanischen  Gesellschaft,  1888,  p.  403. 
— J.  M.  M. 
