448  Gleanings  from  the  Foreign  Journals.  {AmsJe?pr,*i877a,nn' 
etherial  solution  was  evaporated,  the  residue  dissolved  in  dilute  hydro- 
chloric acid,  the  solution  filtered  and  while  boiling,  again  precipitated 
by  ammonia  ;  by  washing  the  precipitate  with  boiling  water,  again  dis- 
dolving  in  acid  and  treating  as  before,  it  was  obtained  pure;  the  yield 
was  50  to  56  grams.  It  was  obtained  crystallized  by  Merck's  method 
("  Am.  Jour.  Pharm.,"  1856,  p.  134),  and  its  composition  found  to  be 
C32H50NO9,  the  analytical  results  as  to  C  and  H  agreeing  with  those 
of  Merck  and  Weigelin,  and  also  with  the  nitrogen  found  by  the  latter. 
The  formula  was  verified  by  the  analysis  of  several  salts  and  double 
salts. 
The  author  coincides  with  Weigelin  in  assuming  the  existence  of 
two  modifications  of  veratria,  one  insoluble,  the  other  soluble  in  cold 
water,  but  the  latter  is  readily  converted  into  the  insoluble  form  by  boil- 
ing, and  partly  also  by  ammonia.  When  separated  by  ammonia  in  the 
presence  of  some  ammonium  chloride  and  from  a  solution  of  a  certain 
concentration,  veratria  is  obtained  as  fine  needles,  which  are  strongly 
iridescent  in  the  sunlight.  The  resinous  mass  obtained  by  Merck's 
method  from  making  crystallized  veratria  is  the  same  alkaloid,  but 
amorphous,  soluble  in  diluted  alcohol,  and  after  washing  with  cold 
water,  insoluble  in  that  liquid. 
A  number  of  commercial  samples  were  examined  by  the  author  and 
found  to  be  pure  veratria,  completely  soluble  in  ether  and  except 
minute  traces  insoluble  in  boiling  water  ;  they  were,  therefore,  free  from 
sabadillia  and  sabatrina. — Arch,  de  Phar.,  June,  1877,  P*  5II"532, 
The  Crystalloids  and  Colloids  of  Honey. — By  subjecting  fil- 
tered honey  to  dialysis  in  a  parchment  dialysator,  E.  Dietrich  found 
that  the  surrounding  water  had  acquired  a  pale  yellowish  color,  and, 
on  evaporation,  yielded  50  per  cent,  of  crystalloids  in  the  form  of  a 
clear  little-colored  golden  yellow  honey,  which  did  not  crystallize  from 
alcohol,  but  had  such  a  fine  taste  and  floral  odor  as  the  author  had  . 
never  before  observed  in  honey.  The  colloids  remaining  in  the  dialy- 
sator contained  slimy  floccules,  were  destitute  of  honey-like  odor  and 
had  an  insipid  sweetish  taste.  If  the  loss  by  colloids  was  not  so  great, 
the  author  would  recommend  the  purification  of  honey  by  dialysis. — 
Chem.  Centralblatt,  No.  20,  from  Ind.,  Bl. 
Glycyrrhizin. — J.  Habermann  has  recrystallized  commercial  gly- 
cyrrhizin,  prepared  by  TrommsdorfF,  from  glacial  acetic  acid,  and  ob- 
