502 
GLEANINGS — MISCELLANEOUS. 
of  bearing  a  pressure  of  at  least  ten  atmospheres,  (IbO  lbs.  to 
the  square  inch.)  The  temperature  of  the  ammonia  sinks  to  40 
degrees  below  zero  (Pharm.  Journ.,  Aug.  1861.) 
Native  Nitrate  of  Soda, — One  of  the  British  Consuls  in  Brazil 
reports  that,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  river  San  Francisco, 
in  Bahia,  Brazil,  at  a  place  called  Salitre,"  large  deposits  of 
nitrate  of  soda  exist.  In  the  words  of  a  distinguished  Brazillian, 
it  is  found  through  a  valley  of  from  16  to  20  leagues  in  extent ; 
in  some  places  on  the  surface,  at  others  a  few  feet  under,  in 
masses,  and  is  sufficiently  abundant  to  yield  a  supply  for  ex- 
portation for  years  to  come.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  San 
Francisco  river,  near  the  town  of  Pilao  Arcado,  other  equally 
large  deposits  exist.  The  projected  Bahia  railroad  to  the  town 
of  Joazeiro  must  pass  through  the  first  named  district  at  a  dis- 
tance from  the  coast  of  240  miles. — (Chem.  News,  Aug.  17, 
p.  98.) 
Paraffin  as  a  Lubricant  for  Alkaline  Solution  Bottles — .The 
constant  difficulty  arising  from  the  fixing  of  the  stoppers  of 
caustic  potash  solution  bottles  may  be  avoided  by  dipping  the 
stoppers  in  melted  paraffin,  upon  which  substance  the  alkali  has 
no  action,  and  which  acts  as  a  lubricant. — (Chem.  News  and 
Polyt.  Notizblatt.) 
Salishuria  adiantifolia,  or  Gingko  Tree. — Daniel  Hanbury, 
in  his  elaborate  notes  on  Chinese  Materia  Medica,  (Pharm.  Jour., 
May,  1861,)  says  that  the  fruit  of  this  tree  is  called  Pih-kwo 
and  Yin- hang  (silver  almond)  in  China.  These  are  nut-like, 
oval,  pointed  seeds  from  half  an  inch  to  an  inch  long,  keeled 
lengthwise  on  two  sides,  and  having  a  smooth,  fragile,  bony, 
pale  broAvn,  outer  shell  or  testa.  The  nucleus  of  the  seed  con- 
sists of  amylaceous  albumen  enclosing  a  pair  of  long  narrow 
cotyledons,  the  whole  enveloped  in  a  delicate  reddish  brown 
membrane. 
Salishuria  adiantifolia  is  commonly  cultivated  both  in  China 
and  Japan,  where  it  attains  a  large  size.  The  male  plant  was 
introduced  about  a  century  and  a  half  ago,  the  female  much 
more  recently.  The  tree  is  not  uncommon  in  gardens  ;  and  in 
the  warmer  parts  of  the  Continent  it  ripens  its  handsome  plum- 
