424 
Quarterly  Review  on 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
*•    September,  19 17. 
precipitated  from  a  one  per  cent,  salt  extract  of  the  meal  by  adding 
ammonium  sulphate  to  0.6  of  saturation.  The  precipitate  was  fil- 
tered off,  redissolved  in  water,  and  dialyzed  until  free  from  sul- 
phates. Canavalin  was  obtained  by  making  the  filtrate  from  the 
concanavalin  completely  saturated  with  ammonium  sulphate.  The 
principal  difference  between  the .  two  globulins  is  in  their  sulphur 
content;  the  one  is  0.48  and  the  other  1.10  per  cent.  From  the 
analyses  of  these  two  globulins  it  is  evident  that  only  a  small  amount 
of  concanavalin  can  be  present  in  the  mixture  of  globulins  obtained 
by  dialysis,  since  the  sulphur  content  of  canavalin  and  the  mixture 
of  globulins  are  practically  the  same.  Canavalin  estimates  3.17  per 
cent,  of  basic  nitrogen.  The  albumin,  which  contains  3.73  per  cent, 
of  basic  nitrogen,  resembles  the  legumelins  which  have  been  de- 
scribed by  Osborne  and  his  co-workers  (Abstracted  from  the  Jour. 
Franklin  Institute,  July,  1917,  p.  119). 
Chemical  and  Physiological  Detection  of  Several  Al- 
kaloids in  the  Same  Solution. — The  well-known  play  of  colors 
which  occurs  when  strychnine  is  brought  in  contact  with  sulphric 
acid  and  potassium  dichromate  is  not  realized  when  1  milligram  of 
strychnine  nitrate  and  0.04  gram  or  more  of  quinine  bisulphate  in 
the  same  solution  are  treated  thus,  a  passing  garnet-red  color  ap- 
pearing, which  changes  to  green  or  greenish-gray ;  with  smaller 
quantities  of  quinine  this  reaction  is  distinct,  but  transient.  The 
same  result  is  noticeable  when  salts  of  the  alkaloids  with  the  same 
acid  or  just  plain  alkaloids  are  used.  Crystals  of  strychnine  picrate 
may  be  formed  in  the  presence  of  a  large  excess  of  quinine,  but 
they  are  not  then  characteristic.  The  alkaloids  are  easily  and  cer- 
tainly separated  by  treatment  with  sodium  potassium  tartrate ;  qui- 
nine tartrate  being  insoluble  in  solutions  of  alkali  sulphates  and 
tartrates,  whereas  the  strychnine  salt  is  soluble.  It  is  observed 
that  mixtures  which  do  not  give  the  characteristic  reaction  with 
potassium  dichromate  do  not  produce  the  characteristic  symptoms 
in  the  frog  (The  Analyst,  May,  1917,  p.  177). 
Another  New  Source  of  Potash. — The  U.  S.  Geological 
Survey  reports  the  separation  of  potash  from  wyomingite,  a  lava 
found  extensively  in  the  Leucite  Hills  of  Wyoming.  This  mineral 
is  a  silicate  of  alumina  and  potash,  containing  much  more  potash 
than  feldspar.  By  heating  to  a  dull-red  heat  with  calcium  chloride 
73  per  cent,  of  potash  is  readily  obtainable. 
The  Volatile  Reducing  Substance  in  Cider  Vinegar. — Ex- 
