Chloralum  and  Preparations,  etc.  267 
the  crystals  with  chloroform,  evaporating  the  chloroform,  treating  the 
deposit  with  eight  times  its  weight  of  boiling  90  per  cent,  alcohol,  add- 
ing a  little  washed  animal  charcoal,  filtering  and  leaving  to  cool  in  a 
partially  stoppered  flask.  The  pure  digitaline  is  then  deposited  in 
fine  white  and  shining  needles,  grouped  around  the  same  axis.  By 
this  means,  the  two  principles  are  effectually  separated.  The  part 
dissolved  is  intensely  bitter,  giving  a  wonderfully  intense  emerald 
green  coloration  with  hydrochloric  acid,  and  having  such  a  powerful 
physiological  action  that  a  quarter  of  a  milligram  is  sufficient  to  pro- 
duce the  ordinary  effects  of  digitalis.  On  the  contrary,  the  part 
undissolved  by  the  chloroform  is  tasteless,  giving  no  coloration  with 
hydrochloric  acid,  and  exercises  no  appreciable  action  upon  the 
organism. 
In  order  to  verify  the  results  described  in  the  memoir,  the  commis- 
sion followed  the  process  step  by  step,  and  succeeded  in  obtaining  a 
product  identical  with  the  specimen  accompanying  the  memoir.  They 
also  undertook  a  series  of  physiological  experiments,  the  result  of 
which  led  them  to  the  conclusion  that  the  new  medicament  appeared 
to  produce  effects  identical  with  the  other  preparations  of  digitalis, 
particularly  the  digitaline  of  MM.  Homolle  and  Quevenne,  but  incom- 
parably more  energetic,  while,  from  the  definite  nature  of  the  com- 
pound, more  constant  results  follow  its  use. — Pharm.  Journ.,  Lond.> 
April  27,  1872. 
CHLORALUM  AND  PREPARATIONS  OP  CHLORALUM  AS  DIS- 
INFECTANTS. 
By  Prof.  A.  Fleck. 
The  Central  Chemical  Institution,  established  last  year  in  Dresden 
for  the  protection  of  the  public  health,  of  which  Prof.  Fleck  is  the 
director,  received,  amongst  other  things,  the  disinfectants  introduced 
by  the  Chloralum  Company  in  London,  in  order  that  a  thorough 
investigation  of  the  composition  and  real  value  of  these  products 
might  be  made.  The  ostentation  with  which  the  Chloralum  Company 
commenced,  and  still  carries  on,  its  operations,  points  either  to  the 
especial  excellence  of  the  disinfectants  recommended,  or  to  a  great 
mistake.  The  suspicion  against  the  Chloralum  Company  in  this  last 
respect  was  augmented  by  many  external  appearances  which  accom- 
panied the  undertaking.    Those  newspapers  and  journals  of  Ger- 
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