134       Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.    {AmM;i?ch, S.™' 
the  carbonates.  It  is  said  to  surpass  other  indicators  in  sensibility 
and  sharpness  of  end  reaction.  The  color  reaction  is  pink  when 
alkaline  and  faint  yellowish  in  an  acid  medium.  L.  F.  K. 
"  PEREZOL,"  A  NEW  INDICATOR. 
Under  the  above  name,  Duyk  describes  a  new  indicator,  which  is 
derived  from  the  rhizomes  of  a  Mexican  plant,  Perezia  adnatay  by 
means  of  benzene  or  toluene.  The  proximate  principle,  pipitzaoic 
acid,  obtained  by  evaporating  the  above  solvents  from  the  extrac- 
tive to  crystallization  and  recrystallizing  from  the  same,  is  a  red- 
dish-yellow crystal,  melting  at  67-700  C,  sparingly  soluble  in  water, 
alcohol,  ether  and  oils.  A  y2  per  cent,  alcoholic  solution  is  recom- 
mended. It  is  extremely  sensitive  to  both  fixed  and  volatile  alka- 
lies, and  the  end  reaction  is  very  sharp,  even  when  highly  diluted. 
Distilled  water  boiled  in  glass  will  give  a  distinct  reaction.  Alka- 
loids react  with  great  delicacy  with  perezol,  making  it  a  valuable 
indicator  for  estimating  these  bodies  volumetrically.  Carbonic  acid 
and  organic  acids  deport  themselves  like  mineral  acids.  Boric  acid, 
however,  acts  like  a  base  towards  this  indicator.  Borates,  acetates, 
carbonates  and  bicarbonates  have  an  alkaline  reaction,  but  the  am- 
monia salts  react  neutral. — Ann.  de  Chim.  Analyt.,  4.,  372. 
L.  F.  K. 
A  NEW  SOURCE  OF  PILOCARPINE. 
Rocher  describes  a  new  jaborandi  Pilocarpus  racemosus,  indige- 
nous in  the  French  Antilles.  The  leaves  contain  about  1  per 
cent,  of  total  alkaloids,  of  which  o-6  per  cent,  is  pilocarpine  and 
the  remainder  jaborine.  The  leaves  also  contain  a  greenish,  very 
aromatic  essential  oil. — Rep.  de  Pharm.,  1899  (3),  //,  439. 
L.  F.  K. 
MANUFACTURE  OF  BARYTA. 
H.  H.  Lake  intimately  mixes  finely-powdered  barium  carbonate 
with  about  8  per  cent,  of  carbon,  and  places  the  mixture  into  a 
crucible  lined  with  some  vegetable  fibre,  like  cardboard,  which  is 
also  used  to  cover  the  same.  The  lid  is  luted  down  with  earth,  and 
the  whole  heated  to  i,ioo°  to  1,200°  C.  for  ten  hours.  The 
evolving  gases  prevent  ingress. of  air,  which  is  essential.  About  99 
per  cent,  of  the  barium  carbonate  is  transformed  into  the  anhydrous 
baryta,  from  which  the  hydrate  is  easily  obtained. — Eng.  Pat.,  No. 
25,027,  November  26,  1898.  L.  F.  K. 
