406  Practical  Notes  from  Foreign  Sources.  {"^"Vugl'iSr 
A  Compound  of  lodoforiii  and  Sti-i/clinicf^  (0^2^22^204)3021113,  has- 
been  obtained  by  Lextrait  by  dissolving  5  grains  crystallized  iodoform 
and  12  grams  strychnia  in  500  cc.  of  hot  85  per  cent,  alcohol.  The 
crystals  which  are  separated  on  cooling  are  insolnble  in  water,  freely 
soluble  in  ether  and  chloroform,  and  at  15°0.  dissolve  in  98  per  cent, 
alcohol  to  the  extent  of  3*40  grams  ])er  liter.  The  compound  is  read- 
ily decomposed,  turns  brown  at  90°O.,  yields  strychnia  salts  on  being 
treated  with  dilute  acids,  and  on  exposure  to  light  liberates  iodoform 
and  strychnia.  Quinia  and  iodoform  appear  to  form  an  analogous 
compound.  —  Chem.  Zeitimg,  No.  21  ;  Compt.  Rend.,  xcii,  p.  1057. 
Strychnia  Hydrate. — On  adding  ammonia  to  a  cold  dilute  solution 
of  a  strychnia  salt,  long,  delicate,  four-sided  prisms  are  obtained,  which 
on  drying  rapidly  change  to  rhombic  octahedrons  or  short  rhombic 
prisms.  E.  Jahns  considers  the  long  delicate  prisms  to  be  a  hydrate,, 
which  rapidly  loses  its  water,  forming  anhydrous  strychnia. — Archiv 
d.  Phar.,  March,  1881,  p.  185. 
Test  for  Atropia  and  Dcduria. — Dioscoride  Vitali  recommends  the 
following :  Add  to  the  substance  a  little  fuming  nitric  acid,  dry  by 
the  aid  of  a  water-bath,  and  when  cold  add  a  drop  of  solution  of 
potassa  in  absolute  alcoliol,  when  in  the  presence  of  as  little  as 
0*000001  gram  atropia  or  daturia  sulphate  a  violet  color  will  be  pro- 
duced, passing  into  bright  red.  Under  the  same  circumstances  strych- 
nia produces  a  red  and  brucia  a  greenish  color. — Ibid.;  IJOrosi, 
1880. 
Estimation  of  Tannin. — A.  Lehmann  has  obtained  correct  results 
by  operating  as  follows :  A  quantity  of  the  material  containing  from 
0*2  to  0*6  gram  tannin  is  boiled  with  water,  and  the  decoction,  includ- 
ing the  material,  reduced  to  100  or  200  cc.  Of  the  clear  liquid  20 
cc.  are  mixed  watli  an  equal  bulk  of  concentrated  solution  of  ammo- 
nium chloride,  and  then  tested  with  the  gelatin  solution  in  the  usual 
manner.  The  latter  is  prepared  by  dissolving  one  gram  of  gelatin  in 
100  cc.  of  solution  of  ammonium  chloride,  saturated  in  the  cold,  and  is 
standardized  with  solution  of  tannin  of  known  strength.  The  precip- 
itate settles  rapidly. — Phar.  Zeitschr.f.  Pussl. 
Calcium  Chloride  and  Alcohol. — J.  B.  Heindle  found  this  crystal- 
line compound  to  have  the  formula  Oa01+302HgO  (which  requires 
55*42  per  cent,  of  alcohol ;  Graham  found  59  per  cent.)  Isobutylic: 
alcohol,  O^HjqO,  and  amylic  alcohol,  O5H12O,  yield  analogous  com  • 
pounds. —  Che7n.  Ztg.,  No,  21;  Sitzber.  Akad.  Wien,  1881,  p.  61. 
