56  SACCHARINE   STRENGTH  OF   SYRUP  OF  IODIDE   OF  IKON. 
sible.  He  agitated  one  part  of  oil  with  ten  of  the  alcohol,  and 
allowed  it  to  rest.  The  alcohol  dissolved  six  per  cent,  of  the  oil, 
and  with  it  the  acid,  the  coloring  matter,  and  part  of  the  pungency. 
The  undissolved  oil  had  taken  up  fifty  per  cent,  of  alcohol.  On 
separating  the  oil  dissolved  in  the  alcohol,  it  was  more  viscid, 
pungent  and  acid,  than  the  original  oil.  On  the  other  hand,  when 
the  portion  not  dissolved  by  the  alcohol  is  treated  three  times 
with  alcohol,  its  volume  is  diminished,  and  it  becomes  entirely 
free  from  acrimony,  and  it  may  be  taken  in  the  mouth  with  im- 
punity, is  soluble  in  all  proportions  in  ether,  and  has  a  specific 
gravity  of  .92. 
These  experiments  proved  that  croton  oil  is  not  homogenous  in 
its  composition.  Our  author  then  asks  the  question,  is  it  possible 
by  further  attempts  to  isolate  the  active  principle  from  the  oily 
vehicle  in  which  it  is  dissolved  ? 
To  solve  this,  he  agitated  four  pounds  of  croton  oil  with  about 
a  pound  of  alcohol,  occasionally  for  several  days.  The  upper  al- 
coholic layer  was  decocted,  shaken  first  with  water,  and  the  ethe- 
real solution  evaporated,  giving  rise  to  pungent  effluvia,  strongly 
affecting  the  eyes  and  nostrils.  The  oil  thus  obtained  is  dark 
brown,  opaque,  thick,  possessed  of  strong  smell  and  acidity.  Ap- 
plied to  the  skin,  it  causes  almost  instantaneous  pain,  followed  by 
a  blister.  It  is  soluble  in  alcohol  and  ether  in  all  proportions, 
and  when  mixed  with  nine  parts  of  olive  oil  it  is  more  powerful 
than  ordinary  castor  oil. 
The  author  infers  from  these  experiments  that  a  little  ingenuity 
will  succeed  in  isolating  the  active  principle  of  the  oil.  which  he 
proposes  to  attempt  in  future  experiments. — Abridged  from  Annals 
of  Pharmacy,  April  1852,  and  Repertoire  de  Pharmacy. 
ON  THE  SACCHARINE  STRENGTH  OF  SYRUP  OF  IODIDE  OF  IRON. 
By  W.  Tozier. 
According  to  the  authority  of  M.  Guibourt,  the  most  perfect 
simple  syrup  consists  of  30  parts  of  sugar  to  16  of  distilled  water, 
the  specific  gravity  of  which  syrup  is  represented  by  1*320  ;  for 
practical  purposes,  however,  double  the  amount  of  sugar  as  of 
liquid  menstruum  has  been  found  more  convenient,  and  is  now 
