386  Gleanings  from  the  French  Journals.   { AmxJu0gU<r'I8P78arm' 
acid  ieaction,  dissolves  entirely  in  70  per  cent,  alcohol  and  yields  with 
water  a  rather  turbid  solution,  becoming  clear  by  the  deposition  of  a 
little  resin.  It  should  not  contain  over  10  per  cent,  of  moisture,  and 
on  incineration  should  leave  not  over  5*5  per  cent,  of  ash. — your,  de 
Phar.  et  de  Chim.,  July,  pp.  45-48. 
The  pancreatic  liquid,  acccording  to  Th.  Defresne,  contains 
three  distinct  ferments,  of  which  myopsin  dissolves  albumen,  amylopsin 
saccharifies  starch,  and  steapsin  decomposes  fats.  The  first  is  obtained 
from  the  pancreas  of  an  omnivorous  animal,  as  follows  :  100  grams  of 
a  filtered  solution,  containing  15  grams  of  dried  pancreatic  juice,  are 
mixed  with  40  grams  of  acetic  acid  (equivalent  to  7*37  grams  H2S04)  -,l 
after  24  hours  the  mixture  is  filtered,  and  the  filtrate  mixed  with  an 
excess  of  alcohol.  Myopsin  forms  garnet-colored  shining  scales,  which 
are  soluble  in  water,  the  solution  being  coagulated  by  heat ;  it  digests 
104  times  its  weight  of  albumen,  but  does  not  affect  starch  or  fat. 
The  other  ferments  are  bestobtained  from  the  pancreas  of  rumi- 
nants, for  instance,  the  ox,  which  contains  no  myopsin.  A  concen- 
trated filtered  solution  of  beef  pancreas  is  mixed  with  sufficient  alco- 
hol to  make  the  mixture  of  an  alcoholic  strength  of  26  volumetric  per 
cent.  The  precipitate  collected  after  24  hours,  and  washed  with  26 
per  cent,  alcohol,  constitutes  steapsin,  which  when  dry  is  in  translucent 
shining  scales,  which  are  soluble  in  water.  It  has  no  action  on  starch, 
but  decomposes  24  times  its  weight  of  fat.  It  is  precipitated  and  ren- 
dered inactive  by  acetic  acid. 
To  100  grams  of  the  liquid  of  beef  pancreas  15*71  grams  acetic 
acid  (equal  to  2*88  grams  HgSOJ1  are  added  ;  the  precipitate  is  sepa- 
rated, and  before  the  expiration  of  two  hours  the  clear  liquid  is  precipi- 
tated by  200  grams  of  85  per  cent,  alcohol.  After  washing  and  dry- 
ing, amylopsin  forms  lemon-yellow  shining  scales,  which  saccharify  25 
times  their  own  weight  of  starch,  are  soluble  in  water,  the  solution 
being  precipitated  by  alcohol  and  strong  acetic  acid,  and  coagulated  by 
heat. — Rep.  de  Phar.,  June,  244-246. 
Alteration  of  Calomel.— Mr.  Jolly  has  determined  the  amount  of 
corrosive  sublimate  formed  from  1  gram  of  calomel,  after  digesting  it 
for  six  hours,  at  a  temperature  of  40°C.  (i04°F.),  in  100  grams  of 
distilled  water  to  which  the  following  additions  had  been  made: 
1  This  indicates  an  acetic  acid  containing  23  per  cent.  C2H402,  which  has  the 
spec.  grav.  1-0324. — Editor  Am.  Jour.  Phar. 
