290  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  { 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
June,  1889. 
cupric  salts.  The  solution  to  be  tested  should  first  be  acidulated  with 
sulphuric  acid  so  as  to  precipitate  the  metals,  if  any,  as  insoluble  sul- 
phates. The  reagent  may  be  prepared  in  advance  by  adding  to  a  sat- 
urated solution  of  bromide  of  potassium,  half  its  volume  of  pure  sul- 
phuric acid.  This  is  stirred  and  filtered  through  asbestos,  so  as  to 
separate  the  sulphate  of  potash  precipitate  which  forms. — M.  Deniges, 
Bull  de  la  Soc.  de  Phar.  de  Bordeaux,  March. 
Bromide  of  Gold  in  Therapeutics. — In  a  memoir  lately  re- 
compensed by  the  Acad'emie  de  Medecine,  Dr.  Goubert  describes  his 
successful  treatment  by  this  salt  of  epilepsy  and  the  various  forms  of 
migraine.  He  says  that  bromide  of  gold  is  better  tolerated  than  are  the 
other  bromides,  though  too  high  doses  determine  "  a  not  severe  cephal- 
algia without  somnolence."  The  dose  for  adults  is  8  mgni.,  gradually 
increased  to  12  mgm. ;  for  children,  3  to  6  mgm.  The  author 
administered  the  salt  in  weak  solution.  He  states  that  "  the  action  of 
this  medicament  is  durable,  and  epileptics  who  have  taken  it  some- 
times remain  for  several  years  free  from  the  attacks." — Bepert.  de 
phar.,  April  10. 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
By  Frank  X.  Mcerk,  Ph.  G. 
Assay  of  Mercurial  Ointment. — 1.  Weigh  3  gm.  of  the  ointment 
into  a  small  tared  flask,  add  50  cc.  alcoholic  potassium  hydrate  solu- 
tion and  heat  in  a  water-bath  ;  after  a  short  time  the  fat  is  saponified 
and  the  solution  can  be  easily  poured  off  from  the  separated  mercury, 
which  is  washed  a  few  times  with  .  alcohol,  finally  with  ether,  and 
then  the  flask  and  contents  are  dried  and  weighed. — Kremel,  Pharm. 
Post,  1889,  227. 
2.  To  one  gram  ointment  weighed  into  a  small  beaker  are  added  60 
gm.  ether,  5  gm.  alcohol  and  6  to  8  drops  hydrochloric  acid,  to  fa- 
cilitate solution  of  the  fat  slight  heat  is  applied  ;  the  beaker  is  cov- 
ered with  a  watch-crystal  and  allowed  to  stand  until  the  liquid  be- 
comes clear,  when  it  is  carefully  decanted  from  the  metallic  deposit, 
the  latter  washed  by  decantation  with  some  of  the  above  mixture, 
finally  with  ether,  dried  at  30°  to  40°  and  weighed. — E.  Dieterich 
(Helf.  Ann.)  Pharm.  Centralhalle,  1889,  267. 
Veratrum  alkaloids,  can  be  estimated  by  extracting  5  gm.  of  the 
root  with  a  mixture  of  equal  volumes  of  chloroform  and  absolute  al- 
cohol ;  the  solution  is  agitated  several  times  in  a  separating  funnel 
