Amj^y,r;8P7sarm*}   Gleanings  from  the  French  Journals.  341 
Pure  Ether.  Absolute  Alcohol.  90  per  cent.  Alcohol. 
Acid,  benzoic  31*35  46-68  4162 
citric  2*26  75'9°  52*^5 
gallic  2-56  38*79  23"3i 
oxalic  1-266  23-73  14  70 
phtalic  0-684  io-o8  11*70 
salicylic  5°'47  49  ^3  42"°9 
succinic  1*265  7'S1  I2'59 
tartaric  0*400  25-604  41*135 
Journ.  de  Phar.  et  de  Chim.,  March,  1878,  173-179. 
A  new  oxide  of  lead  has  been  obtained  by  H  Debray.  The 
oxides  hitherto  known  are  litharge,  PbO,  binoxide  of  lead  or  plumbic 
anhydrid,  Pb02,  and  red  lead  or  plumbate  of  lead,  Pb;i04=(PbO)2Pb02. 
The  latter  compound  is  formed  by  heating  Either  of  the  two  former 
oxides  to  about  440°C  (824°F).  Debray  has  observed  that  when 
binoxide  of  lead  is  heated  to  350°C.  (662°F).,  a  rapid  disengagement 
of  oxygen  takes  place,  which  soon  becomes  less  active,  and  when  it 
has  nearly  ceased,  the  binoxide  has  been  converted  into  sesquioxide  or 
rather  into  the  neutral  plumbate  of  lead,  PbO.Pb02.  The  same 
compound  is  formed  by  heating  litharge  to  the  degree  indicated,  and 
passing  a  current  of  oxygen  over  it  *  it  is  a  greenish-brown  powder 
which  is  very  slowly  oxidized  to  red  lead  in  an  atmosphere  of  oxygen 
and  on  continuing  the  heat. — Ibid.  April,  p.  549-253. 
Separation  of  arsenic  from  other  metals. — Ph.  de  Clermont  and 
Frommel  have  made  the  observation  that  the  freshly-precipitated  sul- 
phides of  many  metals  when  boiled  with  water  are  decomposed  with  the 
formation  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen  and  oxide  of  the  metal.  Arsenic 
being  the  only  one  whose  oxide  is  soluble  in  water,  the  authors  propose 
its  separation  by  washing  the  sulphides,  obtained  from  acidulated  solu- 
tions, until  every  trace  of  hydrochloric  acid  has  been  removed,  after 
which  the  filter  with  its  contents  is  boiled,  preferably  in  a  retort,  the 
tension  therein  seeming  to  favor  the  dissociation  ;  the  precipitate  from 
•2  gram  of  arsenic  will  be  completely  decomposed,  when  500  or  600 
cubic  centimeters  of  water  have  been  distilled.  The  contents  of  the 
retort  are  then  filtered  and  the  arsenic  determined  in  the  usual  manner. 
— VUnion  Phar.,  April,  p.  104. 
Curare. — Dr.  Jobert,  in  a  letter  dated  Belin  de  Para,  gives  the  follow- 
ing information  concerning  the  preparation  of  this  poison  by  the  Indians. 
The  principal  ingredients  are  urariuva  (probably  Strychnos  castelnae^N ed.) 
