372  Gleanings  from  the  Foreign  Journals.  {Amjifyu)r'l8p7h7arm- 
it  is  exposed  to  a  dry  atmosphere  in  thin  layers  or  mixed  with  a  bulky 
powder.  Hess  reports  a  similar  observation  for  nitroglycerin.  He 
found  in  1871  a  dynamit  to  contain  72*98  per  cent.,  but  after  having 
been  kept  for  five  years,  only  69*36  per  cent,  of  nitroglycerin. — Phar. 
Centralhalle,^ o.  12. 
To  Remove  Odorous  Compounds  from  Mortars,  Glassware, 
etc. — Schneider  recommends  to  wash  them  with  ground  mustard  and 
some  water.  A.  Huber  finds  that  ground  flaxseed,  almonds  and  other 
oily  seeds  have  the  same  effect.  The  odor  of  musk,  valerian,  phenol^ 
etc.,  is  thereby  readily  removed.  A  little  hot  benne  or  olive  oil  is 
very  serviceable  for  the  cleaning  of  fish-oil  bottles. — Scbweiz.  Woch- 
enschr,  No.  13. 
Use  of  Clothes  Wringers  in  place  of  Presses. — E.  Dietrich 
states  in  "Apotheker  Zeitung  "  that  he  has  been  using  cloth  wringers 
for  over  a  year  and  prefers  them  to  the  presses  usually  employed,  in 
which  the  margin  of  the  presscake  always  retains  a  portion  of  the 
liquid.  By  straining  tinctures,  infusions,  decoctions,  etc.,  through  a 
bag,  and  passing  the  latter  through  the  wringer,  all  the  liquid  will  be 
easily  separated,  without  coming  in  contact  with  the  hands.  Pulp  of 
tamarind,  etc.,  may  be  rapidly  made  and  with  the  use  of  little  water,  by 
passing  the  material  first  through  a  coarse  hair  sieve,  and  afterwards,  en- 
closed in  a  suitable  bag,  through  the  wringer. 
Modified  Percolator. — Mr.  B.  S.  Proctor  suggests  the  addition  to 
the  usual  cylindrical  tube  and  receiver,  of  a  cylinder  of  tin  plate  or 
other  suitable  material,  closed  at  both  ends,  fitting  loosely  within  the 
percolation  tube,  the  object  being  to  get  a  slightly  increased  hydro- 
static pressure  with  a  small  quantity  of  the  solvent.  The  cylinder 
floats  in  the  liquid,  and  the  space  besween  it  and  the  percolator  being 
narrow,  a  head  of  6  or  8  inches  is  obtained  with  a  small  quantity  of 
liquid. — Pbar.  Jour,  and  Trans.,  Feb.  3. 
Caustic  soda  containing  oxide  of  zinc  has  been  observed  by  J. 
J.  J.  Kyle.  The  article,  which  was  marked  "chemically  pure,"  had 
been  obtained  from  a  Paris  manufacturer.  On  passing  sulphuretted 
hydrogen  through  the  solution  with  the  view  of  converting  it  into 
sulphide  of  sodium,  a  white  precipitate  was  obtained,  which  proved  to 
be  sulphide  of  zinc.  It  had  been,  probably,  prepared  by  Hunt's 
process  from  sulphide  of  sodium  and  oxide  of  zinc  with  too  large  a 
