218 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
Piperidina  arid  piperic  acid  have  been  obtained  from  piperina 
and  alcoholic  potassa  by  Yon  Babo  and  Keller  ;  according  to 
Strecker,  the  reaction  is  as  follows  :  piperina  Cg^  H^^g  NOg  -\- 
2H0=  Og  (piperic  acid)-j-C^Q  11^^  N  (piperidina,)  and  pi- 
perina has  the  composition  N  (C24  Hg  Oq-[-C^q  Hj^). — (Annal.  d. 
Ch.  u.  Ph.  xxix,  317—320.) 
Test  f 07'  strychnia. — Rich.  Hagen  corroborates  Von  Sicherer's 
observation  that  the  color  produced  by  chromate  of  potassa  and 
sulphuric  acid  is  obscured,  or  does  not  appear  with  nitrate  of 
strychnia  in  the  presence  of  less  or  more  tartaric  acid  or  tar- 
trates ;  the  reaction  is  not  prevented  with  free  strychnia, 
nor  with  its  nitrate,  if  binoxide  of  lead  and  sulphuric  acid  is  em- 
ployed (Annal.  d.  Chem.  und  Ph.  xxvii.  159 — 164.) 
Estimation  of  morphia. — 1  equiv.  of  ferridcyanide  of  potas- 
sium is,  according  to  Kielfer,  reduced  by  alkaline  solutions  of 
morphia  to  the  ferrocyanide,  producing  with  sesquisalts  of  iron 
Prussian  blue.  This  behaviour  is  recommended  for  the  quanti- 
tative estimation  of  morphia  in  opium,  by  precipitating  the  me- 
conic  acid  with  chloride  of  calcium, using  an  excess  of  the  fer- 
ridcyanide and  determining  the  excess  by  strong  hydrochloric 
acid  ;  the  liberated  chlorine  is  now  estimated  by  titration  with  hy- 
posulphate  of  soda. — (Annal.  d.  Chem.  u.  Ph.  xxvii.  271^ — 283.) 
The  reaction  of  peiitachloride  of  j)hosphorus  upon  camphor 
has  been  studied  by  Leop.  Pfaundler.  When  equal  equivalents 
are  used,  muriatic  acid  is  evolved  at  60^  C,  and  the  yellowish 
liquid  boils  at  83*^  C.  ;  thrown  in  water,  a  white  flocculent  pre- 
cipitate is  separated,  which  is  soft  like  wax,  has  a  camphoraceous 
odor  and  crystallizes  from  alcohol  in  feathery  crystals  ;  its  com- 
position=  CI.    With  2  equiv.  of  the  chloride,  the  reac- 
tion is  similar,  but  the  precipitate  is  oily,  and  solidifies  in  a  few 
days;  composition:  C^o  H^g  CU.    The  first  is  neutral,  the  last 
deviates  polarized  light  to  the  left  (Annal.  d.  Ch.  u.  Ph.  xxxix, 
29—37.) 
On  chlorophylle. — Pfaundler  made  some  experiments  with  va- 
rious plants  by  growing  them  in  distilled  water,  and  feeding  them 
with  solutions  containing  no  iron  :  at  first  green,  they  gradually 
became  paler  and  sickly.  The  experiments  confirm  Salm-Horst- 
mar's  observations,  that  iron  is  requisite,  not  only  for  the  pro- 
