42 
GLEANINGS   FROM   THE   GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
the  number  100  is  used  as  the  initial  upon  which  to  base  the 
ratio,  and  this  gives  certain  advantages  of  decimal  expression 
where  fractions  are  involved. 
The  third  formula  starts  upon  a  basis  that  admits  an  avoir- 
dupois pound  of  sixteen  ounces  as  an  index,  and  the  parts  of 
this  and  the  following  formulae  may  be  read  as  avoirdupois  ounces 
throughout,  with  the  advantage  of  starting  with  a  one  pound 
bottle  of  phosphate  of  soda,  the  form  in  which  it  is  usually 
bought. 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  December,  1859. 
For  the  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy. 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
By  John  M.  Maisch. 
Impure  Veratria. — R.  Kiessling  has  observed  a  singular 
sophistication,  probably  accidental  impurities,  of  commercial 
veratria,  which  dissolved  in  acids  with  slight  effervescence  and 
left  on  incineration  a  bluish-green  fused  residue,  effervescing  and 
changing  to  purple  on  being  moistened  with  muriatic  acid.  A 
quantitative  analysis  established  the  presence  of  a  number  of 
inorganic  bases,  in  the  following  proportions,  when  calculated 
as  carbonates.     100  parts  of  this  veratria  contained 
Sesquioxide  of  iron,  0.20833 
Carbonate  of  lead,  0.36713 
«       manganium,  0.62713 
«       lime,  0.62500 
'<       magnesia,  0.23436 
soda,  3.27340 
5.33535 
—  Wtttst.  Viert.  Schr.  viii.  564-567. 
Strychnia  in  Woorara  A.  Oberdorffer,  of  Hamburg,  obtained 
woorara  from  the  Esmeralda  Indians  of  the  Amazon  river,  from 
the  Pevas  Indians  of  the  Rio  Maranon,  and  by  Dr.  Brainard,  of 
Chicago,  a  specimen  from  the  Orinoco  river.  By  Sonnenschein's 
method  with  phosphormolybdic  acid,  and  by  Boussingault's 
method  of  precipitating  the  aqueous  solution  of  the  alcoholic 
