110 
GLEANINGS  FROM  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
GLEANINGS  FROM  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
By  J.  M.  Maisch. 
Reaction  of  strychnia. — The  solid  strychnia  when  mixed  with 
solid  iodic  acid  or  iodate  of  potassa  and  a  drop  of  strong  sulphuric 
.  acid,  assumes,  according  to  X.  Landerer,  on  the  application  of  a 
gentle  heat,  a  beautiful  violet  color,  gradually  changing  to  red 
brown,  remaining  unchanged  for  many  days.  The  thick  liquid 
shows  after  a  few  hours  a  beautiful  iridescence  continuing  for 
several  days. — (Hirzel's  Zeitschrift,  xii.  86.) 
Oleum  cadinum  is  the  empyreuraatic  oil  of  Juniperus  oxy- 
cedrus,  a  shrub  of  Greece,  the  reddish  berry-like  fruits  of  which 
are  of  the  size  of  gooseberries,  and  were  formerly  exported  to 
England  ;  the  wood  is  odorous,  and  not  subject  to  decay  or  the 
attack  of  insects.  The  empyreumatic  oil  is  a  popular  remedy 
for  chronic  eruptions  of  the  skin,  psoriasis,  herpes,  &c.,  and  is 
employed  with  an  equal  part  of  glycerin  made  into  paste  by 
starch.  The  fresh  plant  and  particularly  the  fruit  are  used  for 
making  the  oil.  Similar  is  the 
Empyreumatic  grain  ozY,  called  sitoladon,  which  is  prepared 
from  wheat  and  other  grain,  by  throwing  it  in  red  hot  iron  pans, 
and  inverting  an  earthen  pot  over  them  to  condense  the  oily 
vapors. — (Landerer  in  Hirzel's  Zeitschr.  xii.  89.) 
Estimation  of  silver  in  the  metallic  state, — Fellonberg  propo- 
ses to  dissolve  the  choride  of  silver  in  ammonia,  dilute  with 
water,  precipitate  by  a  strip  of  bright  copper,  collect  and  wash 
the  silver  upon  a  filter,  incinerate  and  fuse  with  borax;  or  to  in- 
cinerate the  filter  containing  the  chloride,  without  fusing  the 
latter,  and  reduce  it  by  means  of  pure  lead  upon  bone  ashes. 
These  processes  avoid  the  tedious  drying  of  the  filter  and  the 
precipitates. — (Schweiz.  Zeitschr.  v.  121,  122.) 
Ferri  protochloridum  is  obtained  pure,  according  to  E. 
Amsler,  by  evaporating  the  recent  solution  almost  to  dryness, 
and  adding  powdered  iron  and  strong  muriatic  acid  in  the  pro- 
portion of  1  part  of  the  former  to  5  of  the  latter  ;  the  mixture 
is  then  evaporated  to  dryness  with  continued  stirring  by  an  iron 
spatula.    The  nascent  hydrogen  evolved  will  effectually  reduce 
