Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
January,  191 8.  ' 
Treatment  of  Corps. 
3i 
the  proposed  test  gave  in  all  cases  the  same  result.  The  authors 
claim  that  the  pyramidon  test  is  as  sensitive  and  delicate  as  that  of 
Meyer  and  that  it  is  very  simple  and  rapid  and  that  because  of  the 
conservation  of  time  and  the  definite  results  obtained  it  will  prove 
serviceable  in  the  clinical  examination  for  blood  in  the  different 
liquids  of  the  organism. — Translation  from  Annates  des  Falsifica- 
tions et  des  Fraudes. 
G.  M.  B. 
TREATMENT  OF  CORKS  USED  IN  SOXHLET  AND 
OTHER  EXTRACTION  APPARATUS.1 
By  T.  J.  Ward. 
The  difficulties  which  arise  from  the  porosity  of  cork  and  the 
solubility  of  certain  constituents  of  cork  when  used  in  extraction 
apparatus  may  be  overcome  in  the  following  manner:  Gelatin  is 
soaked  in  cold  water  for  five  or  six  hours,  the  unabsorbed  water 
poured  off,  and  the  gelatin  warmed  gently  until  it  is  melted,  when 
one  quarter  of  the  volume  of  glycerol  and  two  volumes  of  water  are 
added. 
The  corks,  which  have  previously  been  softened  and  bored,  are 
completely  immersed  in  the  glycerol- jelly  solution  contained  in  a  cov- 
ered beaker,  and  heated  on  a  boiling  water-bath  for  two  hours.  They 
are  then  removed,  the  whole  of  the  surface  wiped  with  a  cloth,  the 
corks  dried  in  a  warm  place  for  a  few  hours,  and  then  used  in  a 
Soxhlet  extraction  apparatus  for  one  hour. 
Corks  treated  in  this  manner  may  be  safely  exposed  to  the  vapour 
of  ether,  petroleum  ether,  benzene,  carbon  disulphide,  and  chloro- 
form, but  must  not  be  used  with  solvents  in  the  vapour  of  which 
water  and  glycerol  are  readily  soluble. 
The  corks  should  be  stored  at  the  ordinary  temperature  away 
from  any  source  of  heat,  as  a  warm,  dry  atmosphere  causes  them  to 
shrink  and  harden. 
Four  corks,  two  of  which  were  very  porous,  treated  in  the  man- 
ner described,  were  used  to  connect  the  flask,  Soxhlet  extractor,  and 
condenser,  in  a  series  of  ether  extractions.  The  jelly  was  then  com- 
pletely removed  with  hot  water  and  the  corks  dried  at  the  ordinary 
1  Reprinted  from  The  Analyst. 
