ADAJgust,Pimm'}      Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  413 
made  to  ascertain  the  nature  of  the  dextro-rotary  constituent.  Di- 
pentene  was  observed  in  the  fraction  boiling  between  175°  and  180°. 
— O.  Wallach  (Liebig's  Ann.),  Apoth.  Ztg.,  1889,  690. 
Polydissolvant  or  sulpholeinic  acid  is  prepared  by  action  of  sulphu- 
ric acid  upon  vegetable  oils  and  made  neutral  in  reaction  by  repeatedly 
washing  with  salt  solution  and  with  ether.  It  combines  with  a  great 
number  of  substances  which  then  are  completely  soluble  in  water  or 
form  emulsions  with  water  as  ether,  chloroform,  benzin,  oil  of  tur- 
pentine, etc. ;  by  warming  or  boiling  with  this  acid,  sulphur,  iodoform, 
camphor,  naphthalin  and  various  coloring  principles  are  dissolved. 
These  solutions  are  quite  penetrating  and  are  easily  absorbed  by  the 
skin  making  this  vehicle  superior  to  vaselin,  oleic  acid,  glycerin  and 
similar  substances  for  external  use. — Apoth.  Ztg.,  1889,  690. 
,  Mineral  oil  in  fixed  oils  is  tested  for  by  Dr.  Holde,  by  taking  a 
piece  of  potassium  hydrate  of  the  size  of  a  pea  and  boiling  in  a  test 
tube  with  5  cc.  alcohol  until  solution  is  effected,  adding  3  or  4  drops 
of  the  oil  to  be  tested,  boiling  for  a  minute  and  adding  from  3  to  4 
cc.  water ;  if  as  little  as  one  per  cent,  mineral  oil  is  present  a  distinct 
turbidity  is  produced,  larger  quantities  cause  the  turbidity  to  take 
place  after  the  addition  of  only  a  few  drops  of  water. — Apoth.  Ztg.) 
1889,  751. 
Oil  of  Bay,  studied  by  Otto  Mittmann,  contains  the  following  con- 
stituents: 1,  Pinene;  2,  possibly  dipentene ;  3,  a  polyterpene,  proba- 
bly diterpene  (insoluble  in  alcohol) ;  these  three  in  small  quantity 
only ;  4,  eugenol,  the  chief  constituent,  and  5,  methyl  eugenol  in  smaller 
quantity. — Arch,  der  Pharm.,  1889,  529. 
Senega  root,  test  for  identification  and  age.  This  test  is  based  upon 
the  fresh  root  containing  a  small  quantity  of  methyl  salicylate,  which 
by  long  keeping  volatilizes.  5  gm.  of  the  air-dried  root,  cut  into  small 
pieces,  are  macerated  with  agitation,  with  30  gm.  ether  for  one-half  to 
one  hour ;  the  ethereal  solution  is  filtered  into  a  small  beaker  which 
contains  about  20  cc.  water  at  40-50°  C. ;  after  the  evaporation  of  the 
ether,  hastened  by  slight  warming,  an  oleo-resinous  mass  will  float 
upon  the  surface  of  the  water,  while  the  salicylic  acid  will  be  in  solu- 
tion ;  without  previous  filtration,  one  dop  of  a  ferric  chloride  solution 
is  added  which  should  produce  at  once  a  deep  violet  color. — Ludwig 
Keuter,  Arch,  der  Pharm.,  1889,  549. 
Fowlerys  solution. — G.  Kassner  has,  in  the  course  of  some  investi- 
gations, noticed  that  an  alkaline  solution  of  arsenous  acid  tested,  by 
