6i6 
Current  Literature. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
December,  1917. 
mixed  with  wood  or  charcoal,  ash  and  water,  thoroughly  boiled,  and 
dropped  into  cold  water,  so  as  to  form  what  are  called  wax  flowers. 
These  are  taken  out  and  exposed  to  the  sun  for  about  20  days,  when 
the  process  of  boiling,  making  the  flowers,  and  sunning  is  repeated. 
The  wax  is  then  boiled  a  third  time,  and  the  best  quality  taken  off 
the  top  while  it  is  in  a  molten  condition.  Recently  improved  methods 
have  begun  to  come  into  use,  and  the  crude  wax  is  treated  with  an 
alkaline  solution.    (From  Commerce  Reports.) 
* 
Exports  of  Mineral  Oils  Show  Big  Increase. — More  min- 
eral oils  were  exported  from  the  United  States  during  the  fiscal 
year  191 7  than  ever  before,  the  total  amounting  to  2,749,434  gal- 
lons valued  at  $230,953,149,  according  to  figures  made  public  by 
the  Bureau  of  Foreign  and  Domestic  Commerce,  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Commerce.  This  was  an  increase  of  approximately  300,- 
000,000  gallons  and  $65,000,000  over  191 6  and  about  470,000,000 
gallons  and  $79,000,000  over  191 4,  the  last  normal  year  before  the 
war.  Only  a  small  percentage  of  the  total  exported  was  crude  oil. 
(From  the  U.  S.  Department  of  Commerce,  Bureau  of  Foreign  and 
Domestic  Commerce,  Washington,  D.  C.) 
Codfish  and  Oil  Trade  of  Norway. — The  spring  cod  fishery 
of  the  Finmarken  coast  closed  on  June  23.  The  returns  for  the 
season  are  17,056,550  kilos  (calculated  at  6,317,240  cod),  as  against 
26,854,600  kilos  (9,946,150  cod)  in  1916,  43,279,200  kilos  (16,- 
020,330  cod)  in  1915,  63,612,650  kilos  (23,560,240  cod)  in  1914, 
and  93,923,800  kilos  (34,787,000  cod)  in  1913.  The  very  poor 
returns  this  year  are  caused  chiefly  by  the  uncertain  conditions, 
great  parts  of  the  fishing  districts  lying  inside  of  the  German  "  dan- 
ger zone." 
As  the  fish  ruled  fat  the  quantity  of  oil  was  comparatively  large. 
In  Lofoten  100  liters  of  liver  yielded  an  average  of  51  liters  of 
steamed  medicinal  oil,  as  against  49  liters  last  year.  The  fish  also 
ruled  somewhat  larger  than  last  year.  (Canadian  Department  of 
Trade  and  Commerce,  Ottawa,  Sept.  24,  through  Commerce 
Reports.) 
Cinchona  Cultivation. — The  areas  under  cinchona  in  Bengal 
during  the  year  191 6-1 7,  according  to  the  government  report,  have 
been  increased  to  2,405  acres,  as  against  2,295  acres  in  the  previous 
