344  Gleanings  in  Materia  Medica.  {Amjiiy"\mavm 
ing  in  solution.  Dr.  O.  Hesse  shows  (Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  Jan. 
22,  1887,  p.  585,)  that  the  salt  loses  water  of  crystallization  between 
80°  and  90°  C,  but  that  when  dried  in  the  exsiccator  or  at  60°  C.  its 
molecular  weight  is  802#5  (not  766*5,)  and  its  formula  (C20H24lS[2O2)2  Cr 
04H2.  3H20  corresponding  with  4.48  per  cent,  of  water  of  crystalli- 
zation. 
The  editor  of  the  Pharm.  Journal  points  out  that  the  formula  ori- 
ginally suggested  for  the  chromate  (anhydrous)  shows  an  excess  of  be- 
tween 4  and  5  per  cent,  of  pure  quinine  sulphate  ;  also  that  the  addi- 
tion recommended  to  be  made  for  quinine  chromate  dissolved,  amounts 
to  no  less  than  5  per  cent,  of  the  total  quantity  of  quinine  sulphate 
operated  upon,  and  is  equal  to  the  average  amount  of  impurity  to  be 
tested  for. 
Gallois  calls  attention  (Jour.  Phar.  Chim.,  Jan.  1887,  p.  77,)  to  a 
memoir  published  in  1862,  by  J.  J.  Andre,  on  the  chromates  of  cer- 
tain alkaloids,  in  which  it  is  stated  that  the  neutral  anhydrous  qui- 
nine chromate  is  soluble  at  100°  in  160  parts,  and  at  15°  C.  in  2400 
parts  of  water  ;  and  that  neutral  potassium  chromate  precipitates,  from 
solutions  of  cinchonine  and  quinidine  salts,  free  alkaloid  and  acid 
chromate  of  alkaloid. 
The  detection  oj  cocaine  in  the  animal  body  has  been  investigated  by 
Dr.  L.  Helmsing.  (Thesis,  Dorpat,  1886.)  On  giving  0'3  gm.  of  the 
hydrochlorate  to  a  cat,  which  was  strangulated  after  five  hours,  the 
alkaloid  could  be  detected  in  the  urine,  blood,  and  all  the  organs.  On 
decreasing  the  quantity  of  the  alkaloid,  the  urine  let  by  the  animal 
gave  distinct  reactions,  but  those  of  the  organs  became  fainter.  There 
appears  to  be  no  doubt  from  the  results  of  the  experiments,  that  cocaine 
is  decomposed  in  the  body,  and  that  the  product  of  decomposition  is 
dissolved  from  the  alkaline  urine  by  benzol,  but  not  by  petroleum 
benzin. 
The  process  of  isolation  was  as  follows  :  The  substance  was  acidu- 
lated with  sulphuric  acid,  the  mixture  agitated  with  petroleum  benzin 
(benzol  and  chloroform  likewise  take  up  no  alkaloid  from  the  acid 
mixture),  then  rendered  alkaline,  agitated  with  benzol  and  the  solvent 
evaporated.  The  reagents  employed  were  iodine,  in  potassium  iodide, 
which  gives  a  kermes-colored  precipitate  in  solutions  1 :  100.000 ;  and 
iodine  water,  which  causes  a  violet  color  and  turbidity,  and  if  added 
in  excess  a  kermes-colored  precipitate,  still  distinct  with  *01  mg.  of 
residue.    Of  the  group  reagents  only  potassio-mercuric  iodide  and  phos- 
