Practical  Notes  from  Various  Sources.  373 
It  is  a  light  straw-colored  powder  of  a  not  disagreeable  taste,  inodor- 
ous, soluble  in  water,  and  the  solution  is  not  precipitated  by  alkalies, 
but  yields  black  precipitates  with  tannin  and  potassium  sulphide,  and 
a  blue  precipitate  vith  potassium  cyanide ;  strong  acids  separate  the 
boric  acid  and  albumen. — Pkar.  Jour,  and  Trans.  April  22,  p.  864 ; 
Annali  di  Chimica. 
Mercurial  Peptones. — The  following  normal  solution  of  mercuric 
peptone  is  prepared  by  E.  Delpech :  Dissolve  peptone  in  powder  9 
grams,  ammonium  chloride  9  grams  and  corrosive  sublimate  6  grams 
in  distilled  water  24  grams,  filter  and  add  glycerin  72  grams.  The 
solution  contains  5  per  cent,  of  corrosive  sublimate  combined  with 
peptone ;  since  it  is  liable  to  precipitate  after  some  time,  it  should  be 
prepared  only  in  small  quantities  at  a  time.  The  precipitate,  however, 
is  free  from  mercury.  The  dry  compound  contains  25  per  cent,  of 
corrosive  sublimate  and  may  be  employed  hypodermically  by  dissolving 
it  in  water  containing  a  little  glycerin. 
For  internal  use  a  solution  of  dry  mercuric  peptone  1  gram  in  dis- 
tilled water  200  grams  and  glycerin  50  grams  may  be  used  in  place  of 
Van  Sw^ieten's  liquid,  and  is  given  in  d  >ses  of  a  teaspoonful,  equal  to 
*005  gram  of  corrosive  sublimate,  diluted  with  a  little  water  or  milk. 
—Jour.  Phar.  Chim.,  Feb.,  1882,  p.  151,  152. 
Mercuric  Iodide  and  Sodium  Hyposulphite. — J.  M.  Eder  and  G. 
Ulm  found  that  1  molecule  of  mercuric  iodide  requires  2  molecules 
sodium  hyposulphite  for  solution.  On  standing,  warming,  or  evapora- 
tion in  vacuo  the  liquid  gradually  deposits  a  precipitate  varying  in 
color  between  yellowish  and  vermilion-red  and  containing  mercurous 
iodide,  sulphide  of  mercury  and  sulphur,  the  latter  being  partly 
insoluble  in  carbon  bisulphide.  The  precipitate  turns  black  in  the 
light.  The  solution  probably  contains  a  double  salt  Hgl2(Na2S203)2. 
—  Wien.  Anz.,  1882,  p.  37. 
For  disguising  the  odor  of  Iodoform  Dr.  Puetz  employs  oil  of  mir- 
bane  (nitrobenzol),  6  drops  of  which  are  sufficient  for  1  gram  of  iodo- 
form.— Phar.  Zeitung,  April  1. 
Aqueous  solution  of  Iodoform  is  prepared  by  Dr.  Schadewald  as 
follows :  A  large  glass  flask  is  filled  to  about  one-third  with  distilled 
water  and  for  each  liter  capacity  2  grams  of  iodoform  are  added ;  the 
flask  is  closed  with  a  plug  of  cotton  and  heated  for  about  30  minutes 
to  between  80  and  90°C.  Violet-colored  iodoform  vapors  are  pro- 
duced ;  that  these  vapors  are  not  iodine  may  be  proven  by  condensa- 
