-Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
Mar.,  1881.  J 
Chemical  Notes. 
121 
arabinose  so  prepared  does  yield  mucic  acid  on  oxidation,  contrary  to 
the  statements  of  Scheibler  and  Fiidakowski,  and  that  like  lactose  it 
reduces  Fehling's  solution  even  in  the  cold.  It  is  not  excited  to  fermenta- 
tion by  yeast,  nor  is  pure  lactose  so  excited,  although  both  Pasteur  and 
Fudakowski  state  the  contrary.  The  optical  properties  of  arabinose 
;and  lactose  also  are  identical,  both  showing  the  same  rotatory  power. 
The  action  of  sodium  amalgam  upon  arabinose  as  upon  lactose  gives 
rise  to  the  formation  of  dulcite,  as  was  proved  by  an  analysis  of  the 
material  so  obtained.  Kiliani  suggests,  therefore,  in  vicAV  of  these 
results,  that  the  name  arabinose  be  dropped  and  that  the  crystallizable 
sugar  of  gum  arabic  be  called  simply  lactose. — Ber,  der  Chem.  Ges.^ 
xiii,  p.  2304. 
Meiliod  for  the  Complete  Separation  of  Albumen  loithout  the  Use  of 
Heat — E.  Salkowski  accomplishes  this  by  the  addition  of  acetic  acid 
'Or  common  salt.  In  a  dry  flask  are  placed  20  grams  of  powdered  salt 
and  50  cc.  of  blood,  and  to  these  are  added  100  cc.  of  a  mixture,  con- 
sisting of  7  volumes  of  saturated  salt  solution  and  1  volume  of  acetic 
acid  (acid.  acet.  dilut.,  Germ.  Phar.).  The  mixture  is  then  vigorously 
shaken  and  allowed  to  stand  15  to  20  minutes,  with  occasional  shaking, 
when  it  is  filtered  through  a  dry  filter.  The  filtrate  is  perfectly  free 
from  albumen,  nor  does  it  contain  any  peptone.  The  precipitate 
•obtained  in  this  way  is  partially  soluble  in  water  and  begins  to  coagulate 
on  heating.  The  method  is  frequently  available,  especially  in  the 
analysis  of  blood. —  Chem.  Centralblatt,  Jan.  5,  1881,  p.  13. 
Technical  Chemistry. — Mustard  Seed  Oil. — The  mustard  plant 
thrives  in  California  and  grows  in  such  profusion  that  it  becomes  a 
pest  to  the  wheat  fields,  especially  in  the  coast  valleys,  as  for  instance 
from  Alameda  south  to  the  Vera  Cruz  and  Pajaro  basins.  It  stubbornly 
resists  extinction,  and  so  grows  and  overtops  the  grain  with  its  yellow 
flowers  that  a  stranger  might  readily  mistake  it  for  the  crop  intended 
to  be  raised. 
A  small  quantity  has  always  been  gathered  for  table  use,  it  being  of 
■excellent  quality,  but  of  late  years  it  is  found  to  yield  an  excellent  oil 
adapted  even  to  the  uses  to  which  olive  oil  is  applied.  It  is  gathered 
by  Chinamen,  who  thresh  and  bring  the  seed  to  the  oil  mart  in  San 
Francisco,  where  they  dispose  of  it  at  two  or  three  cents  per  pound. 
Many  who  have  made  trial  of  it  prefer  this  oil  to  that  made  from  lard 
or  the  olive  oil  for  cooking  purposes ;  it  holds  out  against  rancidity 
