344  Gleanings  from  the  French  Journals.  {Am-^\\l^!m' 
It  is  a  tawny-colored,  rather  hygrometric  powder,  has  a  strong  animal 
odor  and  taste,  and  dissolves  in  water  to  the  extent  of  70  per  cent,  of 
its  weight ;  the  limpid  solution  coagulates  like  albumen.  It  digests 
not  less  than  30  parts  of  albumen,  transforms  8  parts  of  starch  into 
sugar  and  completely  decomposes  10  parts  of  lard.  The  digestion  of 
albumen  takes  place  in  the  presence  of  a  little  acid,  one  drop  of  lactic 
acid  being  sufficient  for  15  grams  of  albumen  and  25  grams  of  water  ; 
no  other  addition  is  required  for  starch  or  lard  ;  the  temperature  may 
vary  between  20°  and  40°C.  (68°  and  I04°F.) 
The  author  has  examined  some  samples  of  German  pancreatin, 
which  were  of  a  whitish  color,  resembling  powdered  orris  root,  of  a 
sweetish  odor  and  a  cheese-like  taste  ;  they  contained  about  80  per 
cent,  of  milk  sugar  and  15  per  cent,  of  insoluble  matter,  and  digested 
between  o  and  6  parts  of  albumen.  A  sample  of  French  pancreatin 
was  in  greyish  pieces,  of  a  strong  animal  odor  and  taste,  completely 
soluble  in  water,  but  the  solution  was  not  coagulated  by  heat  and  did 
not  digest  albumen. — Rep.  de  Phar.,  April,  p.  153. 
Purification  of  Carbonic  Acid  Gas. — Mehu  states  that  the  dis- 
agreeable odor  and  taste  of  carbonic  acid  gas  generated  from  dolomite 
were  completely  removed  by  passing  the  gas  successively  through 
water,  persulphate  of  iron,  permanganate  of  potassium,  and  again 
through  water,  when  it  was  unobjectionable  for  the  preparation  of 
mineral  waters. — Jour,  de  Phar.  et  de  Cbim.,  April,  p.  290. 
A  Hydrate  of  Ether.— On  filtering  an  etherial  liquid  with  free 
access  of  air,  a  frost-like  congelation  is  observed  on  the  upper  part  of 
the  filter,  its  appearance  and  quantity  depending  upon  the  temperature 
and  the  hygrometric  state  of  the  atmosphere.  Tanret  has  collected 
some  of  that  solid  substance,  and  found  that  after  it  had  been  com- 
pletely freed  from  ether  by  strongly  blowing  upon  it,  it  had  the  temper- 
ature— 3'5°C.  (25*7°F.),  and  on  fusion  yielded  17  to  18  parts  of  water 
for  37  of  ether  ;  the  formula  (C2H5)20.2H20  requires  18  parts. — Ibid., 
May,  p.  345-347- 
Color  Reactions  of  Oil  of  Valerian. — In  an  essay  on  the  chem- 
ical constitution  of  oil  of  valerian  (see  page  339),  communicated  to  the 
Academie  royale  de  medecine  de  Belgique,  G.  Bruylants  gives  the  fol- 
lowing color  reactions  which  may  be  observed  with  the  freshly  prepared 
or  old  oil,  and  with  all  etherial  and  alcoholic  tinctures  of  the  root : 
