Am'juiyr;i897arm'}     Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  369 
water,  since  by  simply  shaking  in  a  test  tube  the  naphtol  frequently 
does  not  become  moistened.  The  solution  of  sodium  hypobromite 
is  made  by  adding  30  c.c.  of  soda  solution,  360  B.  to  100  c.c.  of 
water,  and  adding  5  c.c.  of  bromine. 
To  make  the  test,  one  takes  of  either  naphtol  solution  10  c.c,  to 
which  are  added  two  drops  of  the  sodium  hypobromite  solution. 
(1)  With  the  a-naphtol  the  reagent  produces  a  violet  color  and 
precipitate.  This  reaction  is  so  delicate  that  if  the  solution  of  a- 
naphtol  is  diluted  with  nine  volumes  of  water  the  color  is  readily 
distinguished. 
(2)  The  solution  of  /2-naphtol  is  turned  yellow  by  the  reagent, 
then  greenish  and  finally  back  to  yellow. 
It  will  be  seen  that  this  test  is  only  applicable  in  a  mixture  of  the 
two  to  a  detection  of  a-naphtol.  That  fact,  however,  does  not  les- 
sen its  value  materially  in  this  country,  where  it  is  chiefly  desired 
to  prove  the  freedom  of  /9-naphtol  from  the  a-variety. 
ASH  OF  PINEAPPLE. 
J.  J.  Bowrey  (Bulletin  of  the  Botanical  Department,  Jamaica,  3, 
236),  gives  the  following  composition  of  the  ash  of  the  pineapple, 
and  draws  conclusions  concerning  its  cultivation: 
Per  Cent. 
Potash,  K20    49 '42 
Potassium  chloride,  KC1  ^  0  88 
Sodium  chloride,  NaCl    .  .      .  i7-oi 
Magnesia,  MgO   8 "So 
Lime,  CaO   12*15 
Phosphoric  acid,  P205   4  08 
Sulphuric  acid,  H2S04  trace 
Silica,  Si02   ....  4*02 
Ferric  phosphate  2-93 
99-29 
Judging  from  this  analysis,  potash  is  the  most  important  mineral 
substance  which  the  pineapple  requires.  Of  course,  phosphoric 
acid  is  also  necessary,  and  so  are  lime,  magnesia  and  iron ;  but  it 
must  be  a  very  rare  soil  which  does  not  contain  iron  and  magnesia 
in  ample  quantity,  and  usually  there  is  enough  lime  also  present. 
It  is  difficult  to  make  suggestions  respecting  manuring  in  total  ig- 
norance of  the  nature  of  the  soil  to  be  manured.  But  certainly  no 
harm  can  be  done  and  probably  much  good  by  adding  phosphoric 
