472 
Varieties. 
(  Am.  Jour.  Pharnru. 
t      Sept.,  1877. 
solves.  On  adding  potassium  hydrate  to  this  solution  and  allowing  it  to  stand, 
metallic  mercury  is  precipitated  in  a  finely  divided  state  as  a  gray  powder:  the 
reduction  is  greatly  facilitated  by  heating  the  liquid  to  ioo°C.  The  solution  of 
gelatin  and  mercuric  chloride,  when  allowed  to  stand  for  a  month  or  more,  depo- 
sited mercurous  chloride.  On  adding  potassium  hydrate  to  a  solution  of  gelatin 
mixed  with  a  little  freshly  precipitated  mercuric  oxide  until  the  latter  was  dissolved,, 
and  then  heating  as  before,  metallic  mercury  was  deposited  in  a  finely  divided  state. 
The  mercuric  chloride  can  be  completely  separated  from  the  gelatin  by  submitting 
a  solution  of  the  precipitate  to  dialysis. — G.  Bizio.    Ibid.,  from  Ibid. 
Packing  Paper. — Packing  paper  may  be  made  water-tight  by  dissolving  1-82 
pound  of  white  soap  in  one  quart  of  water,  and  dissolving  in  another  quart  1*82 
ounce  (apothecaries'  weight)  of  gum  arabic,  and  5*5  ounces  of  glue.  The  two 
solutions  are  to  be  mixed  and  warmed,  the  paper  soaked  in  the  mixture,  and  passed, 
between  rollers  or  hung  up  to  dry. — Jour.  Frank!  Inst.,  Aug.,  from  Fortsckr  der  Zeit. 
A  New  Washing  Fluid.— Beat  1  kilogram  of  soap,  with  a  little  water,  into  a 
paste,  warm  it  moderately,  and  incorporate  it,  by  thorough  stirring,  into  45  liters  of 
water  at  a  temperature  of  about  3o°C.  (86°F.),  to  which  1  tablespoonful  of  oil  of 
turpentine  and  2  tablespoonfuls  of  ammonia  have  been  added.  The  articles  to  be 
washed  are  to  be  soaked  in  this  mixture  for  two  hours,  and  then  washed  as  usual. 
The  fluid  can  be  rewarmed  and  used  a  second  time,  by  adding  more  turpentine  and 
ammonia.  The  process  is  said  to  be  time-,  labor-  and  money  saving,  much  less 
soap  and  rubbing  being  needed,  and  the  wear  of  the  clothes  is  greatly  diminished  — 
Jour.  Frankl.  Inst.,  Aug.,  from  Neueste  Erjind.  u.  Erfahr. 
Phosphate  of  Berberina. — Dr.  T.  L.  A.  Greve  writes  to  the  "  Eclec.  Med. 
Jour.,"  July,  as  follows :  The  alkaloid  berberina  may  be  prepared  by  the  action  of 
caustic  baryta  on  the  sulphate,  or  of  oxide  of  silver  on  the  muriate  of  berberina. 
The  details  of  the  necessary  operations  will  be  readily  understood  by  any  compe- 
tent pharmacist.  By  saturating  diluted  phosphoric  acid  with  this  alkaloid,  a  solution 
of  phosphate  of  berberina  is  obtained,  which  is,  however,  more  readily  made  from 
the  sulphate  by  boiling  with  water  and  precipitated  phosphate  of  lime,  when  sulphate 
of  lime  and  phosphate  of  berberina  are  formed.  By  filtering  the  solution  ot  the 
latter,  evaporating  to  dryness,  redissolving  in  alcohol,  filtering,  and  again  evaporat- 
ing, it  may  be  freed  from  a  small  quantity  of  sulphate  of  lime.  The  above  process 
may  be  varied  by  substituting  phosphate  of  lead  or  phosphate  of  baryta  for  the 
lime  salt.  From  the  muriate  of  berberina  the  phosphate  may  be  obtained  by  boiling 
in  water  with  phosphate  of  silver,  and  redissolving  in  alcohol,  as  in  the  above  process. 
The  Fluorescent  Body  in  Atropa  Belladonna. — This  body,  which  is  contained:* 
