-A.m.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
June,  1882.  J 
Practical  Notes. 
309 
at  the  Laennec  Hospital  for  phthisical  patients  and  is  given  in  doses 
of  a  tablespoonful  before  breakfast. — VAheille  med.,  1882,  p.  24. 
Glycerin  ointment  may  be  obtained  of  a  soft  consistence  and  per- 
fectly permanent  by  preparing  it,  according  to  F.  Katschinsky,  from 
gelatin  1  gram,  glycerin  96  grams,  starch  144  grams,  and  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  water. — Phar.  Zeitschr.  EussL,  1881,  No.  35. 
Examination  of  Unguentum  Hydrargyri. — Instead  of  removing  the 
fat  by  means  of  benzin,  ether  or  chloroform,  C.  Thein  proposes  the 
following  process :  6  grams  of  the  ointment  are  placed  upon  the 
bottom  of  a  rather  narrow  test  tube;  2  or  3  grams  of  magnesium 
sulphate  or  other  neutral  salt  are  added  with  enough  distilled  water 
to  nearly  fill  the  test  tube,  and  the  whole  is  heated  until  the  fat  which 
rises  to  the  surface  has  become  clear.  The  liquids  are  now  allowed  to 
cool,  a  splinter  of  wood  being  inserted  in  the  fat,  by  means  of  which 
the  latter  after  it  has  solidified  may  be  easily  lifted  out  of  the  test  tube 
after  slightly  warming  it.  The  fat  is  then  weighed,  and  the  mercury 
which  has  settled  to  the  bottom  may  likewise  be  weighed  after 
washing  it  with  a  little  ether  or  chloroform  to  remove  the  last  traces 
of  fat  retained  by  the  metal. ^ — Phar.  Ztg.,  No.  21. 
Stability  of  Calomel. — Woellmer  has  examined  powders  and  pills, 
kept  for  a  period  of  thirty  months,  in  the  dark,  in  diffused  daylight, 
in  dry  and  in  a  damp  atmosphere.  The  calomel  was  combined  with 
sugar,  both  pure  and  whitened  with  ultramarine,  with  milksugar,  gum 
arabic,  aloes,  liquorice  root,  and  marshmallow  root.  Neither  the 
formation  of  corrosive  sublimate  nor  of  ammonio  chloride  of  mercury 
could  be  observed.  For  the  solution  of  the  former,  sulphuretted 
hydrogen  was  employed  as  the  chief  test.  The  absence  of  ammoniated 
mercury  was  proven  by  treating  the  insoluble  portion  with  dilute  nitric 
acid,  and  testing  the  filtrate  with  silver  nitrate.  Decomposition  was 
likewise  not  observed  in  a  mixture  of  golden  sulphuret  of  antimony^ 
calomel  and  sugar. — Ibid. 
Impure  Yellow  Oxide  of  Mercury. — C.  Bernbeck  has  examined  a 
commercial  precipitated  mercuric  oxide  which  contained  7  j)er  cent,  of 
calomel.  It  was  completely  volatilized  by  heat,  but  on  treatment  with 
hydrochloric  or  nitric  acid  left  a  white  insoluble  residue  consisting  of 
mercurous  chloride. — Phar.  Ztg.,  1882,  p.  32. 
Impure  Carbolic  Acid.— C'drhoWc  acid  being  now  frequently  met 
with  in  commerce  in  metal li(^  vesscils,  IT.  Athenstaedt  examined  a 
sample  by  passing  sulphuretted  hydrogen  into  the  acpieous  solution, 
