kTe™*'i8i2**'\  Gleanings  from  the  European  Journals.  69 
appears  to  act  merely  mechanically  by  absorbing  the  poison,  and  thus 
delaying  its  ill  effects ;  sufficient  time  is  thereby  afforded  to  prepare 
the  saccharate.—  Ibid.  p.  609-622. 
The  root  of  Reseda  odoratu  (mignonette),  which  has  an  odor  re- 
sembling horse-radish,  was  found  by  Dr.  A.  Vollrath,  to  yield,  by 
distillation,  a  volatile  oil,  consisting  mainly  of  sulphocyanide  of  allyl. 
—Arehiv  d.  Pharm.,  1871,  Nov.,  p.  156. 
Tinetura  Rhei  aquosa.  E.  Fischer,  of  Dresden,  furnishes  the  fol- 
lowing formula,  yielding  an  unexceptionable  stable  preparation  :  100 
grm.  sliced  rhubarb,  10  grm.  each  of  powdered  borax  and  carbonate 
of  potassa,  are  infused  with  900  grm,  boiling  water  for  15  minutes  ; 
100  gram,  alcohol  are  added,  and  the  maceration  continued  for  one 
hour;  then  strain,  express,  add  150  grm.  cinnamon  water  and  filter- 
the  filtrate  should  weigh  1000  grm. — Ibid.,  p.  158. 
Senecio  Vernalis,  Waldst.  et  Kit.  was  unknown  to  Linnaeus,  and 
first  mentioned  by  Prof.  Gilibert,  of  Grodno,  in  1781.  This  plant 
seems  to  be  indigenous  to  Asia,  probabky  Siberia,  and  is  continually 
traveling  westward.  After  long  continued  Eastern  winds,  it  was  first 
observed  in  Siberia,  in  1822,  and  is  now  found  throughout  Eastern 
Germany  as  far  west  as  Mecklenburg.  It  is  a  troublesome  weed,  at- 
taining a  height  of  30  inches,  and  flowering  from  April  till  June,  and 
later  from  September  till  November,  multiplying  very  rapidly. — Ibid., 
169. 
Syrup  of  Tolu.  Emil  Van  den  Heuvel  objects  to  the  removal  of 
the  resin  in  the  preparation  of  this  syrup,  and  suggests  the  following 
formula  and  manipulation  :  40  grm.  powdered  gum  arable  are  tritur- 
ated with  a  little  simple  syrup  to  form  a  thick  mucilage,  40  grm.  tinc- 
ture of  tolu  are  then  incorporated  with  it,  and  finally  the  remainder  of 
the  simple  syrup  (altogether  920  grm.)  gradually  added.  The  gum 
not  only  emulsionizes  the  resin,  but  it  likewise  restores  the  proper 
consistency  of  the  syrup,  which  is  rendered  too  thin  by  the  addition  of 
tincture  alone. — Bull,  de  la  Soe.  roy.  de  Ph.  de  Brux,.  1871,  392. 
The  purgative  effect  of  sulphovinate  of  soda.  From  his  observations 
in  hospitals,  Dr.  Rabuteau  arrives  at  the  following  conclusions  : 
1.  This  salt  purges  in  relatively  small  doses;  25  grammes  are  al- 
ways sufficient ;  the  dose  for  children  is  10  grm.,  which  sometimes 
answers  for  adults. 
