408  Practical  Notes  from  Various  Sources.  j^Tugil^ussT' 
solution  and  nitric  acid,  sp.  gr.  1'2.  Instead  of  the  bicliroinate,  potas- 
sium permanganate  may  be  employed,  but  is  more  costly. — Arch.  d. 
Phar.,  May,  1882,  p.  369. 
Karlsbad  Sprudel  Salt,  which  was  formerly  very  improperly  pre- 
pared (see  this  journal,  1878,  p.  474,  and  1880,  p.  133,  257),  is  now 
obtained  by  heating  the  spring  water  to  boiling,  filtering,  evaporating 
and  saturating  the  residue  with  carbonic  acid  from  the  springs.  The 
composition  of  the  salt  is  as  follows :  Sodium  bicarbonate  35*95, 
lithium  bicarbonate  '39,  sodium  sulphate  42*03,  potassium  sulphate 
3*25,  sodium  chloride  18*16,  sodium  fluoride  *09,  sodium  borate  '07, 
silicic  anhydride  '03,  and  ferric  oxide  *01  part.  One  liter  of  sprudel 
water  yields  about  5J  grams  of  salt. 
An  artificial  salt  resembling  the  preceding  is  made,  according  to 
Prof.  Harnack,  by  mixing  exsiccated  sodium  sulphate  100  parts, 
sodium  bicarbonate  80  parts,  and  sodium  chloride  40  parts.  Phar. 
Centralh.,  1882,  No.  21,  p.  241. 
Oxidation  of  Cane  Sugar  by  Chromic  Acid. — Dr.  Carl  Heyer  has 
studied  the  effect  of  chromic  acid  upon  cane  sugar  and  ascertained  the 
products  of  oxidation  to  be  formic  acid,  oxalic  acid,  and  carbonic 
2CO2  +  2CH2O  +  2C2H2O4.  The  same  amount  of  sugar  yielded  with 
aniiydride.  The  formation  of  oxalic  acid  had  been  overlooked  by 
previous  investigators,  probably  because  chromic  oxalate  forms  soluble 
double  salts  with  calcium  chloride  as  well  as  with  ammonia.  The 
result  of  the  action  of  8  e(|uiv.  CrO^  upon  1  equiv.  C,2H220ii  was : 
12  equiv.  CrOs:  4CO2+4CH2O2  +  2C2H2O4 ;  while  with  16- equiv. 
CrOg  only  carbonic  anhydride  w^as  formed  =12C02  +  llIl20. — Arch, 
d.  Phar.]  May,  1882,  p!  336-350. 
Oxidation  of  Cane  Sugar  by  Potassium  Permanganate. — Maumene 
xeported  (1872)  having  obtained  two  new  acids,  hexepinic  and  trigenic 
acids  among  the  products  of  the  reaction  between  the  two  compounds. 
Dr.  C.  Heyer,  however,  found  the  supposed  hexepinic  acid  to  be 
merely  oxalic  acid,  and  the  trigenic  acid  to  be  a  syrupy  liquid  contain- 
ing free  acetic  and  formic  acid  and  potassium  salt.  The  results  of 
oxidation  are  the  same  as  with  chromic  acid,  carbonic  anhydride,  oxalic 
acid,  and  formic  acid.  Oxalic  acid  is  produced  only  in  very  dilute 
solutions  and  at  the  ordinary  temperature ;  in  the  presence  of  free  sul- 
phuric acid  only  carbonic  anhydride  and  formic  acid  are  produced; 
and  with  a  sufficient  amount  of  permanganate  the  sugar  is  completely 
oxidized  to  carbonic  anhydride  and  water. — Ibid.,  June,  p.  430-450. 
