592       Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy,  {ADecimberP^9oora' 
solution  (hence  an  aldose),  and  yet  gives  no  osazone  with  phenyl- 
hydrazin.  H.  V.  A. 
MANGANESE  OXALATE  FROM  CITRIC  ACID. 
A  concentrated  solution  of  citric  acid  treated  with  a  solution  of 
potassium  permanganate  (the  flask  being  kept  in  water  to  prevent 
heating  above  400  C.)  gives  off  carbon  monoxide,  and  after  four  or 
five  days  deposits  handsome  rose-colored  crystals,  which  analyzes 
to  MnC204,3H20.  White  crystals  of  MnC2042H20  are  also  obtained. 
— (G.  Deniges,  J.  Ph.  et  Ch.t  1900,  102.)  H.  V.  A. 
SOLUBLE  FERMENTS  OF  GERMINATION. 
Sprouting  seeds  of  fcenugreek  yield,  on  maceration  with  water, 
a  brown  limpid  liquid,  which,  when  poured  on  seed  albumen  (of 
Ceratonia  siliqua)  warmed  to  300  to  350,  converts  it  into  a  sugar 
that  polarization  figures  and  reactions  show  to  be  a  mixture  of 
mannose  and  galactose.  The  same  was  found  true  regarding  the 
seeds  of  luzern,  confirming  previous  work  with  the  seeds  of  cera- 
tonia. Hence,  it  is  highly  likely  that  seed  albumen  is  rendered 
soluble  in  germination,  through  conversion  by  a  ferment  into  glu- 
cose, just  as  diastase  changes  starch  into  dextrin  and  dextrose. 
That  these  ferments  act  as  does  diluted  sulphuric  acid  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  substances  leaving  a  residue  on  hydrolysis  with  the 
acid  leave  the  same  proportion  of  residue  with  the  ferments. — 
(Bourquelot  and  Herissey,  J.  Ph.  et  Ch.y  1900,  104.) 
H.  V.  A. 
t 
ALKYLTHIOSULPHONIC  SALTS  OF  ALKALOIDS. 
The  alkaloids — notably  berberine  and  morphine — react  with 
potassium  and  sodium  alkylthiosulphonates,  forming  handsome 
crystalline  bodies,  such  as  berberine  p-toluol-thiosulphonate, 
C20H17NO4C7H7SO2SH,  H20,  and  berberine  /9-naphtalin  thiosulpho- 
nate,  C20H17NO4C10H7SO2SH.  The  ease  of  crystallization  suggests 
eventual  use  in  alkaloidal  assay,  and  as  the  alkaline  salts  of  the 
alkylthiosulphonic  acids  decolorize  iodine,  as  does  sodium  hypo- 
sulphite, they  may  lead  to  a  simple  volumetric  alkaloidal  assay. 
A  certain  quantity  of  potassium  /9-naphtalin  thiosulphonate  is 
dissolved  in  water  and  an  aliquot  part  titrated  with  centinormal 
iodine  V.  S.  To  an  equal  quantity,  the  berberine  preparation  is 
added,  when  precipitation  occurs.  The  filtrate  is  titrated  with  centi- 
