Amslp"r;x^77.rm'}  Gleanings  from  the  Foreign  Journals.  443 
Lactate  of  sodium  is  made  by  neutralizing  lactic  acid  with  sodium 
bicarbonate,  and  evaporating ;  it  is  very  deliquescent. 
Sulphovinate  of  Sodium. — 1,000  grams  of  sulphuric  acid  are 
carefully,  and  with  constant  agitation,  added  to  1,000  grams  of  strong 
alcohol,  and  set  aside  for  several  hours  ;  the  liquid  is  then  diluted  with 
four  liters  of  distilled  water,  neutralized  with  barium  carbonate,  and 
filtered  from  the  precipitated  barium  sulphate.  The  filtrate  is  decom- 
posed by  a  solution  of  sodium  carbonate,  and  the  filtrate  concentrated 
in  a  water  bath  and  set  aside  to  crystallize  ;  if  necessary,  the  crystals 
are  purified  by  recrystallization  from  water,  and  when  dry  preserved  in 
well  stopped  bottles.  The  yield  is  about  1,000  grams.  The  salt  forms 
hexagonal  tables,  which  are  very  soluble  in  alcohol  and  water,  have  a 
scarcely  bitterish  taste,  and  when  heated  to  I20°C.  (248°F.)  liberate 
alcohol.  Its  aqueous  solution  is  not  precipitated  by  barium  chloride  or 
by  potassium  sulphate. 
Syrup  of  Hypophosphite  of  Sodium. — Dissolve  5  grams  of  the 
salt  in  445  grams  of  simple  syrup,  and  add  50  grams  of  orange  flower 
syrup.  A  tablespoonful  weighing  20  grams  contains  0*20  grams  (3  grains) 
of  sodium  hypophosphite. 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  FOREIGN  JOURNALS. 
By  the  Editor. 
The  fixed  oil  of  stavesacre  is  described  by  Balmanno  Squire  as 
colorless  and  inodorous  ;  an  ointment  made  from  it  was  found  equally 
efficacious  in  scabies  as  sulphur  ointment,  and  by  far  less  irritating. — * 
Phar.  Jour,  and  Trans. ,  June  23  ;  Brit.  Med.  Jour. 
Preservation  of  powdered  Ergot.— Mourrut  recommends  to 
mix  the  freshly  powdered  ergot  with  5  per  cent  of  powdered  benzoin,, 
whereby  it  will  preserve  its  physical  and  medicinal  properties  without 
alteration. — Rep.  de  Phar.,  May  10  ;  Jour  de  therap. 
Method  for  Gelatinizing  Carbonbisulphide,  Petroleum  Ben- 
zin,  etc. — Mercier  has  observed  that  fixed  oils,  more  particularly  the 
drying  oils,  when  mixed  with  a  small  quantity  of  protochloride  of  sul- 
phur, form  a  solid  transparent  mass,  having  nearly  the  elasticity  of 
caoutchouc.  If  at  the  moment  of  mixing,  a  volatile  liquid,  soluble  in  the 
oil,  be  added,  the  solid  mass  will  retain  that  liquid.    Less  than  10  per 
