GLEANINGS — MISCELLANEOUS. 
503 
like  yellow  fruit  perfectly.  Ksempfer  says  the  seeds  are  eaten 
to  promote  digestion.  The  pulp,  which  has  a  penetrating,  of- 
fensive smell  of  butyric  acid,  has  been  chemically  examined  by 
Dr.  Schwartzenbach,  who  has  extracted  from  it  by  means  of 
ether  a  peculiar  crystallizable  fatty  acid,  which  has  been  named 
Gingkoic  acid,  and  which  has  the  composition  C48H^-034-  HO. 
Gingkoic  acid  forms  tufts  of  acicular  crystals,  which  have  not 
been  obtained  colorless,  but  are  of  a  brownish  yellow  ;  it  is  easily 
soluble  in  alcohol  or  ether,  and  exhibits  in  either  case  a  strong 
acid  reaction.  It  fuses  at  95^  F.  and  congeals  at  50".  Heated 
with  solution  of  potassa  it  forms  a  soap-like  compound.  The 
other  constituents  of  the  pulp  are  pectin,  gum,  glucose,  citric 
acid  and  chlorophylle."  This  tree  was  introduced  into  the 
United  States  about  1780,  but  so  far  as  we  know  only  the  male 
tree  was  found  here. 
Cod-liver  Pills. — Under  this  name  a  complex  compound  pur- 
porting to  be  an  extract  embracing  the  active  principles  of  cod- 
liver  oil  is  sold.  The  following  analysis  of  this  substance,  made  by 
Dr.  Garreau,  of  Lille,  for  the  Academy  of  Medicine,  is  found  in 
the  Chemist  and  Druggist,  June  15,  1861,  viz. : — 
Ichthy-gljciue — hepatic,  glocozea  and  azotized  products,  50.000 
Acetic,  lactic  and  butyric  acids,  6.000 
Phosphoric  acid,   2.090 
Sulphuric  acid,  0.200 
Chlorine,  1.525 
Iodine,  0.054 
Bromine  trace, 
•   Soda,  1.170 
Potash,  0.211 
Magnesia,  0.366 
Lime,  0.510 
Propylamin,  2.545 
Ammonia,  2.862 
Extractive  matter  undetermined,  gaduin,  &c.,  10.620 
Water,  2L847 
100.000 
This  extract  appears  to  be  made  by  M.  Despinoy,  of  Lille,  in 
France,  and  professes  to  possess  more  curative  power  than  cod- 
