104  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.    { Am,reTiSarm* 
set  at  liberty,  is  taken  up  by  the  layer  of  chloroform,  and  imparts 
to  it  a  beautiful  amethyst-violet  color.  The  chloroformic  solution  is 
decanted,  added  to  sufficient  distilled  water,  and  the  iodine  is  esti- 
mated by  normal  solution  of  sodium  hyposulphite. — Boll.  chim.y 
pharm,  through  L  Union  pharm.,  October,  1893,  p.  445. 
Commercial  examples  of  yeast  were  examined  by  M.  Maljean,  the 
results  of  which  are  shown  by  the  following  table  : 
3 
O 
'0 
u 
JO 
*  i 
-2  a 
u 
0) 
iosphor 
A 
o 
0 
S3 
g 
a  M 
u 
Si 
-M 
w 
0 
I, 
6075 
4  75 
I"IO 
12 
trace 
2, 
64-65 
57o 
1-30 
8 
3, 
59' 
3-80 
0-85 
8 
4, 
58-25 
3'8o 
0*90 
8 
5  - 
f  Pure  \ 
I  yeast,  J 
73*25 
775 
1-85 
0 
6, 
72*25 
7-5o 
1*90 
0 
7, 
62- 
5'4o 
1-30 
9 
8, 
6170 
5-4o 
1-29 
9 
9> 
60 -8o 
5"5o 
1-30 
10 
o-4o 
0-38 
0-38 
0-50 
0*69 
074 
0*42 
C41 
o'39 
Remarks. 
These  yeasts  of  nine 
different  manufacturers 
produced  bread  whose 
weight  varied  from  250 
to  350  gm.  The  acidity 
was  determined  with 
fresh  yeast  in  presence 
of  alcohols  (Balland's 
process). 
After  drying,  pure  yeasts  have  an  agreeable  odor,  recalling  that 
of  hot  bread  ;  they  form  thin  scales,  adhering  to  the  vessel  in  which 
they  were  placed,  and  acquire  a  slightly  dark  brown  color.  Yeasts 
mixed  with  starch  have,  upon  drying,  a  strong  disagreeable  odor ; 
they  form  small  masses  more  or  less  agglomerated  and  spotted  with 
white,  which  is  in  proportion  to  the  starchy  matter  they  contain. — - 
Jour,  de  Pharm.  et  de  Chim.,  Oct.,  1893,  p.  353. 
A  study  of  the  physiological  action  of  digitalis  species  was  under- 
taken by  Goldenberg  (thesis,  YouriefT,  1893),  as  a  result  of  which 
he  concludes  that  all  species  of  digitalis  exert  the  same  action  on 
the  heart  of  a  frog  as  the  infusion  of  digitalis  purpurea;  but  differ 
considerably  in  the  energy  of  their  action.  While  digitalis  eriosta- 
chys  and  digitalis  glandulosa  are  only  slightly  active,  and  the  action 
of  digitalis  Fontanesii  is  extremely  feeble,  digitalis  nervosa  is  l-j> 
times,  and  digitalis  ferruginea  even  10  times  more  active  than  digi- 
talis purpurea.  The  various  parts  of  the  plants  contain  the  active 
principles  in  varying  quantities,  the  seeds  being  richest  in  active  con- 
