AmApr?i1i'i88h9arm'}      Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  Ill 
tatively  by  thoroughly  shaking  1  cc.  creasote  and  10  cc.  of  a  solution 
containing  50  gras.  potassium  hydrate  dissolved  in  200  cc.  96  per  cent, 
alcohol ;  the  test  after  a  short  time  should  yield  a  solid  mass  not  dis- 
turbed by  brisk  agitation  ;  3.  4  cc.  water,  4  cc.  sodium  hydrate  solu- 
tion and  2  cc.  creasote  should  produce  a  perfectly  clear  light-yellow 
solution,  a  turbidity  indicating  indifferent  oils,  a  darkening  other 
constituents  of  the  wood-tar ;  4.  the  glycerin  test  for  carbolic  acid. — 
W.  Brandes,  Arch,  der  Pharm.,  1889,  111. 
An  insect  powder  with  the  suggestive  addition  "  fortior,"  contain- 
ing 10  per  cent,  powdered  quillaia  is  claimed  to  be  superior  to  the 
pure  powder,  but  Caesar  and  Loretz  proved  experimentally  the  inert- 
ness of  pure  powdered  quillaia  as  an  insecticide,  hence,  also  the  infer- 
iority of  this  stronger  insect  powder. — Pdsch.,  1889,  146. 
Freezing  mUtures  containing  crystallized  carbon  dioxide.  At  ordi- 
nary pressure  this  substance  lowers  the  temperature  to  — 60°,  in 
vacuo  to — 76°;  with  ether,  normal  pressure,  to — 77°,  in  vacuo  to 
— 103°.  By  dissolving  in  methyl  chloride  — 82°  is  reached,  in  sul- 
phuric anhydride  — 82°,  in  amyl  acetate  — 78°,  in  chloroform  —77°, 
in  alcohol  — 72°,  in  ethylene  chloride  — 60°  and  in  methylene  chlo- 
ride as  low  as  — 106°  C. — Cailletet  and  Colardeau  (Compt.  rend.) 
Oester.  Ztsch.  f.  Pharm.,  1889,  82. 
Potassium  sulphocyanate  frequently  is  contaminated  with  small 
quantities  of  ferrous  salts  which  cause  the  crystals  on  exposure  to 
assume  a  red  color.  To  purify  such  specimens  J.  Kranzfeld  dissolves 
in  dilute  alcohol  and  adds  ammonium  sulphide  ;  the  ferrous  sulphide 
is  removed  by  filtration,  the  filtrate  concentrated  and  allowed  to  crys- 
tallize over  sulphuric  acid. — Pharm.  Ztschr.f.  Russl.,  1889,  68. 
Salicylic  acid  may  be  distinguished  from  carbolic  acid  and  resorcin 
by  adding  to  an  aqueous  solution  a  few  drops  of  a  ferric  solution  and 
then  lactic  acid ;  the  addition  of  a  single  drop  of  this  last  reagent 
changes  the  violet  color,  due  to  carbolic  acid  and  resorcin,  to  a  yellow- 
ish-green, while  that  due  to  salicylic  acid  is  not  affected  until  more 
than  ten  drops  have  been  added. — L.  v.  Itallie,  Apoth.  Ztg.,  1889, 
100. 
Podophyllin,  the  active  principle  of  which  is  podophyllotoxin,  may 
be  assayed  by  extracting  1  gram  with  cold  chloroform,  evaporating  the 
greater  portion  of  the  solvent  and  pouring  the  solution  into  twenty 
volumes  of  petroleum  ether ;  the  podophyllotoxin  is  collected  upon  a 
tared  filter,  dried  and  weighed.    Commercial  samples  of  podophyllin 
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