16  rradk-al  Notes  from  Forrion  Jounuds.  j^"'v^''"^;'ir"'' 
('.  Paul  regrets  that  thyiiu)!,  on  account  of  its  disagreeable  taste,  can- 
not be  given  internally,  for  which  reason  its  combination  witli  soda 
suggests  itself;  its  action  is  similar  to  that  of  salicylic  acid. — Bull,  et 
Mc,n.  Soc.  (k  The  rap.,  18S1,  p.  152. 
FeirdUte,  a  blasting  powder,  according  to  \\.  Sjoberg,  is  composed  of 
60  parts  of  a  mixtnre  in  varying  proportions,  according  to  the  effect 
to  be  produced,  of  nitrocetyl  (from  spermaceti),  nitroceryl  (from 
Chinese  wax)  and  nitroglycerin,  16  parts  of  potassium  (sodium  or 
ammonium)  nitrate,  one  part  each  of  purified  spermaceti  and  cal- 
cium carbonate,  6  parts  of  nitrocellulose  and  16  ])arts  of  charcoal, 
—  Chem.  Zeihmg,  1881,  p.  689. 
^1  permanent  aqueous  solution  of  pyroijaUlc  acid,  for  photographers' 
use,  is  recommended  by  Wortley  to  be  made  of  salycylic  acid  1,  pyro- 
gallic  acid  10  and  water  1,000  parts. — Ibid.,  p.  692. 
Solubility  of  Sodium  Benzoate  in  Alcohol.  — Hager  prepared  sodium 
salts  with  benzoic  acid,  prepared  from  the  resin  in  the  dry  and  wet 
Avay,  from  urine  and  from  calcium  phtalate.  All  these  salts  were 
found  to  require  13  parts  of  alcohol,  spec.  gr.  '835,  for  solution  at  a 
temperature  of  17  to  20°C.,  the  figures  obtained  for  100  parts  of  the 
alcohol  varying  between  7*5  and  7*9  of  benzoate;  the  difference  is 
due  to  adhering  moisture. — Fh.  Cetdrcdhalle,  1881,  p.  435. 
Antiseptic  and  Antizymotic  Action  of  Salicylic  Aldehyd. — This  com- 
pound, formerly  called  salicylic  hydride,  and  salicylous  or  spiroilous 
acid,  is  contained  in  herbaceous  spiraeas,  and  is  prepared  by  Piria's 
process,  by  distilling  a  mixture  of  10  parts  of  salicin,  10  potassium 
bichromate,  25  sulphuric  acid  and  200  water,  the  oily  compound 
se]>arating  from  the  distillate.  Pierre  Apery  found  that  meat  may 
be  kept  in  an  aqueous  solution  of  this  compound  without  putrefy- 
ing, and  that  a  few  drops  of  the  oil  will  preserve  urine  ("  L'Unioii 
Phar.,"  1876,  p.  82). 
Since  then  he  has  observed  that  a  few  drops  dissolved  in  a  little 
alcohol  will  preserve  a  corpse  for  3  or  4  days,  if  injected  in  the 
carotid  artery,  or,  better  still,"  into  the  mouth.  Dr.  Christides  has 
preserved  cadavers  by  such  injections  made  into  the  buccal  and  anal 
cavities.  The  putrefaction  of  animal  bodies  which  may  still  pro- 
gress in  solutions  of  salicylic  acid  is  totally  arrested  by  the  addition 
of  a  few  drops  of  salicylic  aldehyd.  Solutions  in  glycerin,  alcohol 
and  water  have  been  successfully  employed  as  antiseptics,  both  in 
private  practice  and  in  the  war  of  1877 ;  and  an  addition  of  a  small 
