498       Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  {AmdiX"rPih9oorra* 
1899,  814),  working  on  the  leaves  of  Plantanus  occidentalis,  col- 
lected from  June  to  November,  confirm  the  original  statements  as 
to  loss  of  soluble  constituents,  but  show  that  the  loss  is  practically 
identical,  whether  leaves  were  protected  from  rain  or  not.  The  in- 
vestigators, therefore,  return  to  the  theory  that  the  soluble  salts 
in  the  leaves  move  to  the  cells  of  the  branches  and  trunk  before 
the  leaves  fall.  H.  V.  A. 
A  NEW  ALKALOIDAL  REAGENT. 
Mecke  {Ztsch.  oeffent.  Chem.t  through  Suddtsch.  Ap.  Zeit.,  1899, 
739)  recommends  a  5  per  cent,  solution  of  selenous  acid  in  concen- 
trated sulphuric  acid,  as  giving  particularly  striking  color  reactions 
with  the  opium  alkaloids ;  yielding,  for  instance,  a  distinct  green, 
with  0  005  milligramme  morphine  or  codeine  ;  orange,  with  0-002 
milligramme  thebaine;  blue,  with  01  milligramme  papaverine,  and 
blue-violet,  with  0*02  milligramme  apomorphine. 
It  is  of  great  value  in  testing  opium  galenicals  or  food  remnants 
for  morphine,  since  in  such  cases  the  brown  color  produced  by  the 
concentrated  acid  does  not  cover  the  green  tint. 
H.  V.  A. 
ELECTROCHEMICAL  ACTION  OF  ROOTS. 
The  important  role  played  by  electrochemistry  in  all  cell 
functions  is  emphasized  by  the  researches  of  R.  Kohn  (Land.  Vers. 
Station,  through  Ph.  Zt.y  1899,  814)  on  the  causes  of  the  acid  action 
of  root  hairs,  a  phenomenon  noted  long  since.  The  writer  shows, 
by  pieces  of  litmus  placed  at  various  distances  around  beet  roots, 
that  acid  is  not  emitted  by  the  roots/  but  that  they  act  as  positive 
electrodes,  attracting  the  acid  constituents  of  the  soil  and  repelling 
the  alkaline  ions.  H.  V.  A. 
REVISION  OF  THE  GERMAN  PHARMACOPOEIA. 
In  view  of  the  recent  pharmacopoeia!  convention  in  Washington, 
the  report  of  the  German  Commission  (Ap.  Zt.y  1899,  679)  as  to 
additions  to  their  pharmacopoeia  is  of  interest. 
They  recommend  the  addition  of  twenty-five  remedies  to 
their  present  list  of  officials,  namely :  Adeps  Lanse  Anhydricus, 
Adeps  Lanse  cum  Aqua,  ^Ether  pro  Narcosi,  Alcohol  Absolutus, 
Arecolinum  Hydrobromicum  (the  alkaloid  of  Areca  nut),  Baryum 
Chloratum,  Bismuthum  Subgallicum,   Bromoformium,  Coffeinum 
