298  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  { Amj^J*  Jft™' 
extracted  with  chloroform,  and  this  solution  evaporated  in  a  tared 
beaker.  The  residue,  dried  at  1200,  represents  the  total  amount  of 
alkaloids  present  in  the  tannate.  The  residue  in  the  beaker  is  dissolved 
in  a  little  water,  acidulated  with  a  few  drops  of  diluted  sulphuric  acid, 
filtered  if  necessary,  mixed  with  3  or  4  cc.  of  ether  and  shaken  with  an 
excess  of  ammonia.  If  quinia  alone  is  present  the  liquid  will  separate 
into  two  clear  layers,  while  in  the  presence  of  other  alkaloids  a  pre- 
cipitate will  appear,  either  at  once  or  after  a  while  ;  such  a  precipitate 
may  then  be  further  examined  in  the  usual  manner.  An  analysis  of  a 
so-called  tasteless  tannate  of  quinia  gave  4^46  per  cent,  of  quinia,  7*33 
per  cent,  of  cinchonidia  and  1 1  9 7  per  cent,  of  conchinin  (quinidia). — 
Archlv  der  Pharm.,  April,  p.  331. 
Test  for  Codiia. — Some  years  ago  O.  Hesse  confirmed  the  observa- 
tion of  Riegel  and  others,  that  codeia  dissolves  colorless  in  concentrated 
sulphuric  acid  at  20°,  and  observed  that  in  the  presence  of  impurities 
colored  solutions  are  obtained  ;  if  the  impurity  consists  of  oxide  of  iron 
the  solution  will  be  blue.  This  has  led  to  the  adoption  for  certain 
opium  bases  of  a  test  liquid,  consisting  of  pure  sulphuric  acid,  to  which 
a  very  small  quantity  of  ferric  chloride  is  added.  To  succeed  with  the 
test,  Hesse  states  that  the  codeia  should  be  finely  powdered  and  well 
dried  ;  2  or  3  milligr.  of  this  are  mixed  in  a  clean  test-tube  with  1  to 
1*5  cc.  of  pure  H2S04,  when  a  colorless  solution  will  be  at  once  pro- 
duced. The  acid  containing  iron  is  used  in  a  like  manner. — Arch.  d. 
Phar.,  April,  p.  330. 
Glycerin  in  Contact  with  Bicarbonate  of  Sodium  and  Borax. 
— On  adding  water  to  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  bicarbonate  of  sodium 
and  borax  no  reaction  takes  place  ;  on  the  addition  of  glycerin  carbonic 
acid  is  generated.  After  warming  until  the  effervescence  ceases,  the 
solution  contains  borax  and  monocarbonate  of  sodium.  Experiments 
have  proven  that  exactly  one-half  of  the  carbonic  acid  existing  in  the 
bicarbonate  is  liberated  — Pharm.  Gentralh.,  April  4. 
Ferrum  Albuminatum  Siccum.  — E.  Merck  states  that  dry 
albuminate  of  iron,  which  only  requires  solution  in  water  to  make 
Triese's  (or,  according  to  Merck,  Friese's)  solution  (see  "Am.  Jour. 
Phar.,"  March,  p.  126),  has  been  manufactured  at  his  laboratory  for 
several  years  past,  and  consists  of  small  brownish-red  luminous  crystals, 
is  not  hygroscopic,  slowly  dissolves  in  50  parts  of  cold  water,  and  more 
