198  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.   { AmXrP0rnr,*i8?4arnQ' 
Convolvulin  is  slowly  decomposed  by  mineral  acids,  yielding  a 
glucose,  methyl-ethyl-acetic  acid,  and  convolvulinolic  acid.  Convol- 
vulinol,  one  of  the  decomposition  products  obtained  by  Mayer  in 
the  hydrolysis  of  convolvulinic  acid  could  not  be  isolated.  It  is  con- 
sidered to  have  been  impure  convolvulinic  acid. — Pharm.  Ztsch.  f. 
Russl.,  1894,  Nos.  1-7. 
Manufacture  of  Phosphorus. — By  heating  sodium  or  calcium  meta- 
phosphate  with  aluminum,  phosphorus  is  obtained  to  the  extent  of 
28-31  per  cent,  of  the  theoretical  yield  ;  the  residue,  which  contains 
some  aluminum  phosphide  a  gray  crystalline  powder  of  the  formula 
Al3P5,by  heating  with  silica  liberates  an  additional  quantity  of  phos- 
phorus, so  that  by  taking  proper  proportions  of  the  metaphosphate, 
aluminum  and  silica,almost  the  full  theoretical  quantity  of  phosphorus 
is  obtainable.  Attempts  to  liberate  phosphorus  from  the  ignited 
superphosphate  mixture  (obtained  from  bone-ash  and  sulphuric 
acid)  by  heating  it  with  aluminum  and  silica  always  resulted  in 
explosions ;  these  were  always  the  result  of  heating  a  sulphate,  like 
that  of  barium  or  calcium,  with  aluminum  and  silica ;  the  chlorides 
of  these  metals  are  also  decomposed  by  aluminum  and  silica, 
although  not  so  violently  as  in  the  case  of  the  sulphates. — A.  Rossel 
and  L.  Frank  (Berichte),  Chemisches  Repert,  1894,  38. 
Formalin,  an  aqueous  solution  of  formaldehyde  (Am.  Jour.  Pharm., 
1893,  286),  was  noticed  to  have  remarkable  deodorizing  power  upon 
decaying  organic  substances.  Experiments  made  with  malodorous 
substances  gave  interesting  results :  Hydrogen  sulphide  solution 
with  a  sufficient  quantity  of  formalin  develops  after  a  short  time  an 
odor  resembling  that  of  the  onion;  the  mercaptans  or  sulphur 
alcohols  react  slowly  with  formalin  giving  rise  to  a  faint  onion 
odor ;  ammonia,  and  amines  at  once  unite  to  form  odorless  com- 
pounds;  skatol  does  not  unite  or  react  with  formalin,  unless  acids 
be  present ;  faeces  are  at  once  deodorized  by  formalin,  so  that  the 
substances,  like  methyl-mercaptan  and  skatol,  which  are  considered 
to  cause  the  odor,  either  do  not  cause  it,  or  else  these  substances 
artificially  made  are  not  identical  with  those  present  in  the  faeces. — 
Dr.  Schmidt,  Pharm.  Ztg.,  1894,  55. 
The  assay  of  extract  of  conium,  owing  to  the  volatility  of  its  alka- 
loid, presents  difficulties  not  met  with  in  the  assay  of  other  extracts; 
G.  Liljenstrbm,  in  taking  up  this  subject,  ascertained  that  no  matter 
