354  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  {Am'jS"ri£9.aim' 
easily  dissolves  in  water  if  half  its  weight  of  sodium  chloride  is 
added.  This  solution  gives  all  of  the  reactions  of  mercuric  salts,  ex- 
cepting the  precipitation  by  albumen  ;  to  this  behavior  its  use  in  sub- 
cutaneous injections  is  possibly  due.  Alcohol  and  ether  poured  over 
the  powder  cause  it  to  assume  a  yellow  color. — Pharm.  Ztsehr.  f.  Russl., 
1889,  310. 
Potassium  chlorate,  identification  of  in  legal  cases.  1.  A  few  crys- 
tals in  a  test  tube  treated  with  one  to  two  drops  concentrated  HC1 
produce  a  yellowish-green  coloration  and  the  suffocating  odor  of 
chlorine  ;  on  adding  a  few  drops  of  the  turbid,  brownish  mixture 
obtained  by  mixing  a  dilute  gold  solution  with  a  dilute  oxalic  acid 
solution  and  warming,  chlorate  is  indicated  by  the  finely  divided  gold 
immediately  dissolving  with  formation  of  a  yellowish  solution  ;  ni- 
trates will  not  dissolve  the  precipitated  gold.  2.  One  drop  concen- 
trated H2S04,  to  which  a  minute  fragment  of  the  salt  has  been  added, 
on  stirring  with  a  glass  rod  assumes  an  orange-red  color,  which,  on 
addition  of  one  drop  benzole  becomes  green,  afterwards  sky-blue  ; 
with  nitrates  only  a  faint  yellowish  coloration  is  produced.  3.  Sul- 
phuric acid  and  the  salt,  as  before,  with  a  trace  of  aniline  or  one  of  its 
salts,  forming  a  beautiful  blue- violet  coloration,  intensified  by  addition 
of  a  little  water,  also  proves  the  presence  of  chlorate. —  Vitatti  (L'  Orosi) 
Pharm.  Centralh.,  1889,  328. 
Hydracetin  is  the  name  proposed  by  Guttmann  for  pure  acetphenyl- 
hydrazid,  C6H5NHNH(C2H30),  which  a  year  ago  was  used  in  Eng- 
land in  an  impure  condition  under  the  name  of  pyrodine.  It  forms  a 
white,  crystalline,  odorless  and  almost  tasteless  powder,  difficultly 
soluble  in  water  (1  :  50),  easily  soluble  in  alcohol  and  possesses  even  in 
small  doses  decided  antipyretic  action.  The  dose  should  not  exceed 
0*1  per  day,  best  given  in  two  doses  of  0*05  gm.  each.  Hydracetin 
is  a  powerful  reducing  agent,  especially  on  warming  and  in  presence 
of  alkalies ;  cupric  solutions  deposit  cuprous  oxide ;  silver  and 
platinum  solutions  deposit  metallic  silver  and  platinum ;  mercuric 
solutions  and  ferric  salts  are  reduced  to  mercurous  and  ferrous  salts ; 
potassium  permanganate  is  decolorized.  A  fine  carmine-red  color  is 
obtained  by  dissolving  hydracetin  in  a  mixture  of  concentrated  H2S04, 
ninety-eight  parts,  and  HN03,  two  parts.  The  medicinal  effects  of 
this  remedy  are  thought  to  be  caused  by  its  strong  reducing  action ; 
it  has  also  been  successfully  used  as  ten  per  cent,  ointment  in  the  treat- 
ment of  Psoriasis. — Pharm.  Centralhalle,  1889,  311  and  341. 
