^DeZ'i^"1*}  Gleanings  from  the  Foreign  Journals.  595 
from  a  road  near  East  Liberty  Stock-yards,  Pittsburgh,  and  without 
being  sifted  yielded  glue,  16*242  and  iron,  5*722  per  cent. 
The  abrasions  from  rails  of  the  horse  track  on  Penn  street  form  a 
grey,  almost  metallic,  sandy  powder,  containing  32*12  per  cent,  of 
metallic  iron  partially  non-oxidized,  while  in  the  other  samples  this 
metal  existed  in  form  of  sesquioxide.  The  limited  quantity  of  this 
material,  although  nearly  as  rich  in  iron  as  a  poor  ore,  prevents  any 
utilization. 
As  to  the  quality  of  the  glue,  it  may  be  stated  that  it  is  very  impure 
and  has  a  rather  bad  odor.  It  however  possesses  all  the  characteristic 
properties  of  glue  ;  its  solution  forms  a  jelly  when  cooled  ;  tannin,  alum 
and  alcohol  precipitate  it  flocculently,  while  it  has  at  the  same  time 
adhesive  power  to  a  certain  extent.  Iron  as  well  as  glutinous  matter, 
however,  are  present  in  too  small  a  quantity  to  be  of  any  technical  sig- 
nificance. 
Although  badly  disappointed,  I  am  now  fully  convinced  that  these 
new  branches  of  glue  and  iron  manufacture  "  won't  do  "  for  Pittsburgh, 
while  perhaps  at  the  same  time  my  analyses  of  street  dirt  may  be  of 
interest  to  some  of  the  readers. 
Black  Diamond  Steel  Works,  Pittsburgh,  Nov.  17,  1877. 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  FOREIGN  JOURNALS. 
By  the  Editor. 
Expressed  Oil  of  Almonds.— J.  D.  Bieber,  manufacturing  chem- 
ist at  Hamburg,  communicates  the  following  reagent  as  a  reliable  test 
for  this  oil :  Equal  weights  of  pure  concentrated  sulphuric  acid,  red 
fuming  nitric  acid  and  water  are  mixed  and  the  mixture  allowed  to 
cool.  The  test  is  applied  by  mixing  five  parts  of  the  oil  with  one 
part  of  the  acid  liquid,  when  pure  almond  oil  will  give  a  yellowish-white 
liniment ;  oil  of  peach  kernels  assumes  red  color  of  peach  blossoms, 
turning  to  dark  orange  ;  benne  oil  turns  pale  yellowish-red,  then  dirty 
orange-red  ;  poppy  and  walnut  oils  yield  a  somewhat  whiter  liniment 
than  almond  oil.  This  test  permits  the  detection  of  5  per  cent,  of 
peach  kernel  and  benne  oil. 
Mixed  with  pure  nitric  acid,  spec.  gr.  1*40,  almond  oil  yields  a  pale 
yellowish  liniment ;  peach  kernel  oil  2l  red,  benne  oil  a  yellowish-green, 
afterwards  reddish,  and  poppy  and  walnut  oils  a  white  mixture. 
