446 
Progress  in  Pharmacy, 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharru. 
\  September,  1902. 
eral  springs  and  inland  lakes  of  Mexico,  and  at  the  present  time  is 
being  produced  in  commercial  quantities  by  several  concerns. 
Sucramine. — A  new  sweetening  agent.  Bellier  [Bull.  Gen.  de 
Therapy  finds  that  sucramine  is  very  soluble  in  water,  slightly  solu- 
ble in  alcohol,  completely  insoluble  in  ether,  acetone  and  benzin, 
neutral  in  reaction  and  leaves  no  residue  after  combustion  in  air. 
By  boiling  an  aqueous  solution  of  sucramine  with  magnesia,  consid- 
erable ammonia  is  formed ;  this,  in  connection  with  other  physical 
characteristics,  lead  the  writer  to  believe  that  the  substance  is  simply 
an  ammoniacal  salt  of  benzoic  sulfamid  or  saccharin. 
Sugar. — Some  idea  of  the  amount  of  research  that  has  been  done 
on  this  useful  as  well  as  interesting  organic  compound  may  be  had 
from  an  examination  of  a  paper  on  the  chemical  tests  for  sugar  by 
M.  Duyk  {Bull,  de  la  Soc.  Roy  ale  de  Phar.  de  Bruxelles,  No.  3,  1902). 
In  this  paper  the  author  has  gathered  the  names  and  formulas  for 
the  principal  reagents  for  sugar.  Upwards  of  eighty-five  names  of 
tests  and  the  accompanying  formulas  are  given  in  this  paper  alone. 
Tannin. — According  to  Dr.  Calmetto  [Zeitschr.  f.  angew.  Chem., 
1902)  tannin  may  be  entirely  converted  into  gallic  acid  by  intro- 
ducing into  a  solution  a  pure  culture  of  a  fungi,  Aspergillus  gallo- 
myces. 
Tincture  of  Iodine. — E.  Beuttner  (Schzveiz.  Wochschr.  f.  Chem.  u. 
Phar^)  gives  a  lengthy  account  of  some  experiments  that  he  has 
been  conducting  as  to  the  percentage  of  loss  of  free  iodine  and  the 
factors  that  enter  most  largely  into  the  decomposition.  He  finds 
that  heat  promotes  decomposition  more  rapidly  than  access  of  air  or 
light.  From  his  investigations  he  concludes  that  tincture  of  iodine 
should  be  made  only  in  small  quantities,  and  should  not  be  kept  on 
hand. 
Upol,  a  compound  of  urea  and  quinic  acid,  is  employed  in  uric 
acid  diathesis,  given  in  doses  of  2-00  to  5*00  {Therap.  Month.,  1902). 
Valyl — diethylamid-valerianate — has  been  used  in  cases  of  hys- 
teria, neurasthenia,  hypochondria,  hsemacrania  and  neuralgia.  On 
account  of  the  disagreeable  taste  and  odor,  it  is  mixed  with  suet  and 
dispensed  in  gelatine  capsules.  Given  in  doses  of  about  o-io  three 
times  a  day  [Therapie  der  Gegenwart,  1902). 
Wax. — A  case  of  extensive  adulteration  is  reported  by  R.  Berg 
(Chem.  Zeit.,  1902,  p.  310)  who  reports  finding  a  large  consignment 
from  Haifa,  in  Syria,  to  be  composed  approximately  of  46-7  parts  of 
beeswax,  117  ceresin,  38-8  rye-flour  and  2-8  of  moisture. 
