AmFek,ri8P7h7arm'}  Gleanings  from  the  Foreign  Journals.  71 
sugar  is  cane  sugar,  and  the'm/»,  when  added  to  fusing  potassium 
hydrate,  yielded  resorcin,  protocatechuic  acid  and  volatile  fatty  acids., 
principally  acetic  acid. — Liebig's  Annal.,  vol.  180,  p.  269-282. 
Sulphate  of  Quinia,  when  exposed  to  the  air,  loses  water  of  crys- 
tallization until  its  composition  is  (C20H24N2O2)2H2SO4-j-2H2O.  It 
then  retains  4*6  per  cent,  of  water,  which  is  entirely  expelled  at  i00°Co. 
The  anhydrous  quinia  sulphate,  when  exposed  to  the  air,  rapidly  absorbs 
again  the  whole  amount  of  this  water,  acquiring  the  same  composition 
as  the  air-dry  salt. — Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  Sept.  2,  1876. 
Acetate  of  Morphia,  when  freshly  prepared,  is  easily  and  com- 
pletely soluble  in  water  ;  but,  according  to  Merck,  there  is  a  continual 
slow  evolution  of  acetic  acid,  causing  the  salt  to  become  incompletely 
soluble  ;  it  is  further  altered  by  long  keeping,  becoming  yellow  and 
even  brown.  The  salt  is  soluble  without  coloration  in  cold,  strong 
sulphuric  acid  only  when  recently  made  ;  but  at  the  end  of  a  few 
weeks  it  yields  a  faintly  colored  solution,  although  the  salt  may  still  be 
white.  No  loss  of  medicinal  properties  through  the  decomposition  is 
experienced,  unless  an  intense  yellow  color  has  been  acquired.— Phat\ 
Jour,  and  Trans.,  1876,  p.  229. 
Quinetum. — Prof.  Th.  Husemann  warns  against  the  use  of  the 
crude  mixed  alkaloids  ("Am.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1876,  p.  134,  and  1877, 
p.  28),  until,  by  careful  experiments,  it  should  have  been  demonstrated 
that  it  possesses  decided  advantages  over  purified  chinoidin.  Quine- 
tum, besides  containing  resinous  substances  and  inorganic  impurities,  is 
largely  composed  of  cinchonia,  producing  unpleasant  symptoms,  wh;cb 
last  longer  than  from  equal  doses  of  quinia  or  quinidia,  while  at  the 
same  time  the  febrifuge  properties  are  diminished. — Phar.  Handehbl, 
Dec.  6,  1876. 
Fermentation  of  Glycerin. — A.  Fitz  observed  that  glycerin  is 
not  fermentable  under  the  influence  of  the  fungi  of  alcoholic  ferments 
(Mucor  racemosus) ;  but  when  sufficiently  diluted  with  water  (20 
parts)  and  left  in  contact  with  schizomycetes  and  in  the  presence  of 
calcium  carbonate,  it  undergoes  fermentation,  normal  butylic  alcohol 
and  butyric  acid  being  produced,  besides  small  quantities  of  ethylic 
alcohol  and  a  volatile  fatty  acid  (probably  capronic  acid)  ;  hydrogen 
and  carbonic  acid  are  given  off  during  the  fermentation. — Ber.  deutsch. 
Chem.  Ges.,  1876,  1348-1352. 
