VARIETIES. 277 
with water, over a slow fire, till the pulp is resolved into 
fine fibres. When cold the whole is placed on a woolen 
previously moistened filtering-bag, through which the 
honey soon runs off as clear as wine. The residual paper 
pulp is then washed, and the dark wine-yellow liquid thus 
obtained evaporated in the vapor bath. The thus obtained 
honey answers, according to the observations of Hirsehberg, 
all purposes for which a faultless, purified honey is re- 
quired. — Pharm. Journ., May 1, 1S50. 
Ungiientum Potassii lodidi. By A. W. Brieger. — 
From a number of experiments made by Brieger, with 
regard to the preservation of this ointment, he concludes 
that 1. Both carbonated and calcined magnesia not only do 
not prevent this ointment from becoming yellow, but rather 
promote the decomposition of the iodide of potassium ; 
2. Carbonate of potash is better adapted for this purpose ; 
but 3. A solution of caustic potash is more effective, a few 
drops being sufficient to preserve from four to eight ounces 
of ointment for many months without becoming yellow, or 
to restore the white color to such as had already become 
yellow. — Ibid., from Jahrbuch. fur prakt. Pharm. 
New Gunpowder. — M. Augendre, assayer at the Mint of 
Constantinople, has succeeded in making gunpowder, which 
is said to be much more powerful than common gunpowder, 
of a mixture of prussiate of potash and chlorate of potash 
with sugar. The following are the proportions which have 
been found to answer best : — 
Crystallised prussiate of potash, dried 1 part 
White sugar 1 part 
Chlorate of potash 2 parts 
These ingredients are separately reduced to a fine pow- 
der, and then intimately mixed by the hand. In operating 
on any quantity, the mixture is moistened with a little 
water and beaten in a mortar, after which it maybe granu- 
