I 
256  Calycm, 
being  modified  by  certain  agents,  furnishes  all  the  tints  that  flowers^ 
and  leaves  exhibit.  As  for  white  flowers,  it  is  well  known  that  their 
cells  are  filled  with  a  colorless  fluid,  opacity  being  due  to  air  contained 
in  the  numerous  lacunae  of  the  petals.  On  placing  the  latter  under 
the  receiver  of  an  air-])ump  they  are  seen  to  lose  their  opacity  and  ta 
become  transparent  as  the  air  escapes  from  them. — Journal  of  Applied 
Science,  February  1,  1881. 
Petrolatum  is  the  designation  adopted  for  soft  paraffin  to  be  intro- 
duced into  the  new  pharmacopoeia,  in  place  of  saxolinum  (see  p.  34)^ 
which  name,  before  its  selection,  had  been  appropriated  and  copy- 
righted. 
Eruption  from  Poison  Oak.— A  saturated  solution  of  hyposul- 
phite of  sodium  is  recommended  in  medical  journals,  the  affected  parts 
to  be  kept  constantly  wet  Avith  the  solution.  The  remedy  did  not  orig- 
inate Avith  Prof.  Maisch,  Avho  is  credited  with  it  by  several  journals. 
Remedy  for  Frost-bites.— In  the  ''Med.  and  Surg.  Reporter,"' 
March  !26tli,  Dr.  H.  E.  H.  Barnes  recommends  a  mixture  of  equal  parts 
of  copaiba  and  oil  of  turpentine,  with  which  the  parts  are  to  be  kept 
constanth^  saturated,  and  covered  with  absorbent  cotton.  It  mav  be 
applied  in  an  ulcerated  or  even  gangrenous  condition,  has  a  soothing 
feeling  to  the  patient,  and  rapidly  restores  the  circulation  to  its  normal 
condition. 
Calycin  is  a  golden  yellow  crystalline,  tasteless  substance  which 
was  obtained  by  O.  Hesse  from  Calycium  chrysocephalum,  a  yellow 
lichen  growing  upon  oaks,  birches,  firs,  etc.,  by  treatment  with  boilings 
ligroin.  It  is  sparingly  soluble  in  cold  ligroin,  benzin,  ether,  alcohol 
and  glacial  acetic  acid,  somewhat  more  soluble  in  chloroform,  has  a 
neutral  reaction,  melts  at  240°C.  and  sublimes  in  red  prisms.  Its 
composition  is  CjgHj^O^  and  it  is  the  anhydrid  of  calycic  acid,  which  is 
formed  by  treating  calycin  with  hot  alkaline  or  earthy  carbonates  in, 
the  presence  of  water,  and  on  being  liberated  by  hydrochloric  acid,, 
again  yields  calycin.  On  heating  with  concentrated  potassa  solution 
a  trace  of  oil,  probably  toluol,  distils  over,  and  the  calycin  with  the 
assimilation  of  SHgO  is  split  into  oxalic  acid,  C2H2O4,  and  alphato- 
luylic  acid,  CgHg02. — Ber.  deutsch.  Chem.  Ges.,  1880,  p.  1816. 
