Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
September,  19 17. 
Advances  in  Pharmacy. 
425 
perimental  work  in  the  preparation  and  purification  of  the  phenyl- 
osazone  obtained  from  the  distillate  from  cider  vinegar  shows  that 
such  distillates  contain  a  reducing  substance  that  reduces  Fehling's 
solution  at  room  temperature.  Judging  from  the  melting-point  of 
the  phenylosazone  obtained  in  these  experiments  and  the  amount 
of  nitrogen  it  contained  the  indications  point  to  its  being  diacetyl 
phenylosazone.  Diacetyl  and  acetylmethylcarbinol,  two  substances 
from  which  this  osazone  could  be  formed,  were  made,  and  the 
actions  of  dilute  solutions  of  these  two  substances  were  compared 
with  those  of  the  cider  vinegar  distillate.  It  was  deduced  that  the 
reducing  substance  in  the  cider  vinegar  distillate  is  largely,  if  not 
altogether,  acetylmethylcarbinol.  It  is  stated  that  this  substance  is 
not  formed  during  the  distillation  of  vinegar  but  is  present  as  such 
in  the  vinegar  and  certainly  appears  to  be  a  normal  constituent  of 
cider  vinegar  (abstracted  from  Jour.  Franklin  Institute,  July,  191 7, 
p.  119). 
Chrysarobin. — Purified  chrysarobin,  or  Goa  powder,  consists 
of  the  anthranols  chrysophanol,  C15H1203,  and  emodinol,  C15H204, 
and  their  methyl  ethers.  Emodinol  methyl  ether  forms  yellow  need- 
les melting  at  1800  ;  chrysophanol  methyl  ether  is  not  present  in 
the  chrysarobin  now  in  commerce,  which  is  said  to  contain  about  33 
per  cent,  of  chrysophanol.  The  therapeutic  action  of  the  drug  is  due 
to  the  anthranols  only ;  it  is  claimed  that  the  substances  insoluble  in 
benzene  take  no  part  in  it  (O.  Hesse,  Liebig's  Ann.  d.  Chem., 
throuhg  The  Pharm.  Jour.,  Apr.  28,  1917,  p.  353). 
Test  for  Chloroform. — To  10  mils  of  chloroform  add  as  much 
benzidine  as  will  lie  on  the  point  of  a  knife  and  shake  gently,  when 
a  clear  solution  will  form.  If  the  specimen  is  pure,  the  solution  will 
remain  unchanged  24  hours  if  kept  in  the  dark.  If  0.01  per  cent, 
of  phosgene  is  present,  it  becomes  cloudy  at  once;  if  0.1  per  cent, 
is  present  a  yellowish-white  precipitate  is  formed.  When  chlorine 
is  present,  the  solution  becomes  pale  rose  in  color,  changing  after- 
wards to  a  blue;  if  HQ  is  present,  the  solution  becomes  cloudy 
immediately  (Utz,  Pharm.  Zentralb.,  Apotheker  Zeitung,  32-60, 
through  The  Pharm,  Jour.,  Apr.  28,  1917,  p.  353). 
Cultivation  of  Medicinal  Plants  in  Germany. — According 
to  an  article  in  the  Pharm.  Zeitung,  volume  32,  page  166,  the  gov- 
ernments of  Prussia  and  Saxony  are  urging  and  encouraging  the 
cultivation  of  plants  for  medical  use.  A  commission  has  been  ap- 
pointed to  give  the  matter  careful  study  and  to  report  on  the 
