^^  AugTet  18?^^™'}  Forensic-chemical  Determination  of  Gelsewine.  389 
Dissolve  the  phosphate  of  calcium  in  the  muriatic  acid,  dilute  the 
solution  with  ten  times  its  volume  of  water,  and  add  the  water  of 
ammonia,  also  diluted  with  water,  until  it  ceases  to  produce  a  white 
precipitate.  Throw  the  whole  on  a  filter,  and  wash  as  long  as  the 
washings  render  a  solution  of  nitrate  of  silver  turbid.  To  this  pre- 
cipitate, contained  in  a  capsule,  add  the  glycerin,  and  apply  a  gentle 
heat,  until  the  mass  is  well  diffused  and  the  mixture  becomes  nearly 
clear  ;  then  remove,  and  mix  it  with  the  mucilage,  and  make  the 
•emulsion  in  the  usual  way. 
The  flavor  of  oil  of  bitter  ahnonds,  from  its  constant  employment  in 
this  class  of  preparations,  is  repulsive  to  many  persons,  and  the  above 
mixture  of  oils  is  offered  as  a  substitute  therefor. 
Preparations  are  sometimes  sold  under  the  names  of  codliver  oil, 
lime,  and  iron  and  codliver  oil  and  wild  cherry.  The  former  can  be 
made  by  adding  two  grains  of  pyrophosphate  of  iron  to  each  teaspoon- 
ful  of  the  above  emulsion;  the  latter,  by  shaking  two  oiuices  of  the 
fluid  extract  of  wild  cherry  bark  with  fourteen  ounces  of  simple 
■emulsion  of  codliver  oil. 
THE  FORENSIC-CHEMICAL  DETERMINATION  OF  GEL- 
SEMINE  IN  ANIMAL  LIQUIDS  AND  TISSUES. 
By  Edward  Schwarz,  M.D. 
Abstract  from  an  Inaugural  Essay  presented  to  the  University  of  Dori)at,  and  comniu- 
nieated  by  the  Author. 
The  author  briefly  reviews  the  investigations  of  H.  Kollock  ("  Amer. 
Jour.  Phar.,"  1855,  p.  263),  C.  L.  Eberle  {Ibid.,  1869,  p.  35),  Professor 
Wormley  {Ibid,  1870,  p.  1),  and  Dr.  C.  A.  Robbins  (see  Ibid.,  1876, 
p.  191).  Professor  Wormley 's  more  recent  investigation  {Ibid.,  1877, 
p.  150)  ni^pears  to  have  escaped  his  attention.  The  method  recom- 
mended by  Dragon dorfl' ("Jahresbericht  fiir  Pharmacie,"  1878,  p.  640) 
Avas  used  for  the  preparation  of  the  two  important  j)rinciples ;  gelse- 
mic  acid  was  obtained  from  the  acidulated  solution  by  agitation  with 
chloroform,  and  gelsemine  by  agitating  the  liquid  rendered  alkaline  by 
am  monia  with  benzol. 
The  (chloroform  solution,  on  evaporation,  left  a  crystalline  residue, 
which  dissolved  ])artly  in  water,  with  a  yellow  color,  and  showed  a 
strong  blue  fluorescence.  The  small  insoluble  portion  was  dissolved  in 
iilc(>hol.    Roth  solutions,  })laced  over  suli)huric  acid,  yielded  crystals  ; 
