36  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  {Am'/a0nuyil)4arm' 
with  twenty  volumes  of  benzin  imparts  to  the  latter  only  a  pale- 
yellow  color ;  the  benzin  solution  agitated  with  an  aqueous  copper 
acetate  solution  (1  :  1,000)  should  not  take  a  greenish  color.  Fir  tar 
has  a  specific  gravity  at  200  C.  of  I-02-I-I5  ;  the  aqueous  solution 
(1  :  10)  has  a  yellowish  color,  an  acid  reaction,  and  with  ferric 
chloride  gives  a  red  coloration  ;  5  cc.  of  the  aqueous  solution  with 
aniline  and  hydrochloric  acid  gives  a  red  mixture  which  when 
agitated  with  chloroform  imparts  to  the  latter  an  intense  red  color. 
The  benzin  solution  agitated  with  aqueous  copper  acetate  causes  a 
green  coloration.  Fir  tar  is  perfectly  soluble  in  nine  volumes  of 
90  per  cent,  alcohol  ;  a  turbid  mixture  indicates  admixtures  with 
birch  tar,  kerosene. — Pharm.  Ztschr.f.  RussL,  1893,  No.  42. 
Test  for  glucose. — 3-4  cc.  of  a  sugar  solution  boiled  for  one  minute 
with  OT2  iodic  acid  and  0-2-0-4  sodium  hydrate,  allowed  to  cool, 
acidified  with  dilute  hydrochloric  acid  and  ammonium  hydrate  added 
so  as  to  form  a  layer  will  cause  a  dark  precipitate,  a  combination  of 
nitrogen  and  iodine.  This  test  is  characteristic  for  glucose  and  is 
not  given  by  ketones  and  aldehydes  in  general ;  the  test  may  be 
useful  in  the  examination  of  urine  for  sugar,  as  normal  urine  does 
not  give  the  reaction. — A.  Jaworowsky  ( Wiadomoszy  Farmaceut.)t 
Pharm.  Post,  1893,  549. 
Gurjun  balsam  in  copaiba  balsam  may  be  detected  by  two  methods 
proposed  by  E.  Hirschsohn,  in  Pharm.  Ztschr.  f  Russland,  1893, 
No.  43. 
If  2-4  drops  of  the  suspected  balsam  be  added  to  I -2  cc.  of  a 
solution  of  I'O  pure  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  in  25-0  pure  acetic 
ether  no  red  or  violet  coloration  should  be  produced.  The  different 
varieties  of  copaiba  with  this  test  give  only  a  yellow  or  pale  brownish- 
yellow  color,  but  the  addition  of  10  per  cent.  Gurjun  Balsam  to 
copaiba  causes  a  red  coloration  gradually  changing  to  a  reddish 
violet.  A  second  method  of  applying  the  test  was  devised  after 
ascertaining  that  the  substance  causing  the  red  color  is  at  least 
partly  soluble  in  water.  One  volume  of  the  balsam  is  agitated  sev- 
eral times  at  the  ordinary  temperature  with  3-4  volumes  of  water, 
filtered  through  a  wetted  filter  and  the  filtrate  mixed  with  an  equal 
volume  of  hydrochloric  acid  of  specific  gravity  ri2 ;  no  red  colora- 
tion should  develop  in  the  course  of  fifteen  minutes.  Pure  copaiba 
by  this  modification  fails  to  give  any  color,  but  if  containing  10  per 
