292  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  {Amju0ne^i889arm* 
manner.  Para-nitrophenol  is  first  prepared  by  action  of  nitric  acid  upon 
phenol ;  the  sodium  salt  reacting  with  methyl  chloride  forms  sodium 
chloride  and  nitranisol ;  by  treatment  with  nascent  hydrogen  the 
nitranisol  is  reduced  to  anisidin  (para-amidoanisol),  which  by  boiling 
with  glacial  acetic  acid  is  converted  into  acetyl-anisidin  or  methacetin. 
It  forms  a  faint  reddish  crystalline  powder,  is  odorless,  has  a  saline 
bitter  taste,  is  easily  soluble  in  water  and  alcohol  and  melts  at  127°. 
Methacetin  possesses  preservative  and  antipyretic  properties.  The 
dose  for  children  should  not  exceed  0*3  gni.,  the  smaller  dose  compared 
with  phenacetin  is  due  to  its  solubility,  and  hence  easier  absorption; 
after  its  use  the  urine  gives  the  para-ami dophenol  reaction  (in  HC1  so- 
lution with  calcium  hypochlorite  a  violet  color,  on  agitation  changing 
to  green)  and  has  reducing  action  which  is  not  due  to  the  presence  of 
sugar.— F.  Mahnert,  Pharm.  Ztg.,  1889,  228. 
Acid  nicotine  tartrate  was  used  by  Dr.  H.  Dreser  for  experimental 
purposes  instead  of  the  easily  resinifying  and  decomposing  solution  of  the 
free  alkaloid.  It  was  prepared  from  the  pure  alkaloid  and  a  concentrat- 
ed solution  of  tartaric  acid  in  alcohol,  precipitating  the  salt  completely 
with  ether,  dissolving  the  precipitate  in  a  little  boiling  alcohol,  and 
allowing  the  filtrate  to  cool  slowly,  by  which  means  the  impurities  sepa- 
rate out  first  and  are  removed  ;  the  separation  of  the  alkaloidal  salt  is 
made  complete  by  the  cautious  addition  of  ether.  The  salt  has  the 
formula  C10HHN2(C4H6O6)22H2O,  forms  white  crystalline  needles, 
easily  soluble  in  water,  the  solution  possessing  an  acid  reaction. — 
Arch,  der  Pharm.,  1889,  266. 
Ferric  albuminate  with  sodium  citrate  is  a  scale  preparation  of  iron 
from  which  a  solution  can  be  made  without  the  use  of  acids  or 
alkalies.  To  prepare  the  salt,  40  liters  distilled  water  are  heated  to 
the  boiling  point  and  allowed  to  cool  to  50°  ;  to  20  liters  are  added 
1200  gm.  solution  of  oxy chloride  of  iron  (dialyzed  iron);  in  the 
other  20  liters  300  gm.  coarsely  powdered  dried  egg  albumen  are  dis- 
solved by  stirring,  the  solution  strained  and  added  to  the  iron 
solution ;  40  gm.  solution  of  soda  are  diluted  with  360  gm.  distilled 
water  and  with  this  the  above  mixture  is  very  carefully  neutralized 
(requires  about  300  gm.).  The  precipitated  ferric  albuminate  is 
washed  by  decantation  with  water  which  had  been  heated  to  100° 
and  cooled  to  50°  until  the  washings  are  free  from  chlorine,  collected 
on  a  wet  linen  strainer  and  allowed  to  drain.  30  gm.  citric  acid  are 
dissolved  in  120  gm.  distilled  water  and  neutralized,  applying  heat, 
