GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  GERMAN  JOURNALS.  445 
its  own  bulk  of  acetic  acid  and  filtered  ;  5  c.cm.  of  it  are  agitated 
with  the  same  volume  of  the  test  liquid  and  filtered ;  the  filtrate 
is  usually  turbid,  if  albumen  is  in  excess,  and  is  precipitated  by 
KCfo  and  albumen ;  if  the  ferrocyanide  is  in  excess,  it  is  clear 
and  precipitated  only  by  albumen.  In  a  second  experiment, 
either  the  KCfo  or  the  albumen  is  doubled,  and  the  filtrate  again 
tested ;  if  necessary,  a  third  and  a  fourth  experiment  is  then 
made,  in  which  the  test  liquid  is  adjusted  in  accordance  with 
the  previous  result,  until  the  point  is  ascertained,  when  the  fil- 
trate is  not  precipitated  by  either  of  the  liquids. — (Vol..  cxi. 
195—205.) 
Synthesis  of  Acetic  Acid  J.  A.  Wanklyn  passed  carbonic 
acid  into  a  mixture  of  sodium,  zinc,  and  their  compounds,  with 
methyle ;  after  amalgamating  the  free  metals  with  mercury,  the 
product  was  distilled  with  diluted  sulphuric  acid.  The  distillate 
contains  acetic  acid,  the  presence  of  ether  has  no  influence 
on  the  result.— 2C02+Na,  C2H3==C4H3Na04.  (Vol.  cxi.  234 
—236.) 
Estimation  of  Magnesia  and  the  fixed  Alkalies, — The  presence 
of  magnesia  does  not  interfere  with  the  estimation  of  potassa 
by  bichloride  of  platinum.  Prof.  Th.  Scheerer,  therefore,  pro- 
poses the  following  way  :  the  whole  amount  of  the  above  bases 
is  estimated  as  their  sulphates ;  from  a  weighed  portion  the 
magnesia  is  determined  as  pyrophosphate,  the  potassa  from 
another  portion  as  platina  chloride  ;  the  remainder  is  soda. — 
(Ann.  d.  Ch.  and  Ph.  cxii.  177,  178,  from  Nachr.  d.  K.  Ges.  d. 
Wiss.  zu  Goettingen.) 
On  Quaiac  Resin. — Prof.  Hlasiwetz  prepares  a  concentrated 
solution,  of  one  part  of  the  resin  in  alcohol,  precipitates  with  | 
part  caustic  potassa  in  alcohol,  expresses  the  mother  liquor,  and 
washes  the  residue  with  alcohol,  afterwards  with  water.  This 
potassa  salt  crystallizes  from  a  solution  in  much  boiling  diluted 
alcohol ;  dissolved  in  very  diluted  boiling  potassa,  muriatic  acid 
precipitates  the  resinous  acid,  which  crystallizes  from  its  alcoholic 
solution  on  spontaneous  evaporation,  and  possesses  a  faint  but 
agreeable  odor  of  vanilla ;  it  is  not  rendered  blue  by  oxidizing 
agents.— (Vol.  cxii.  182—184.) 
