130 
So-called  Carbonate  of  Titanium. 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
1     March,  1885. 
is  Cg^H^gOg.  The  decomposition  a})pears  to  take  place  according  to  the 
equation  2C,,H,A8  +  =  Cg^H^A  +  QCgH.A. 
Crocose. — The  sugar  mentioned  above  yields  rhombic  crystals.  Its 
solution  has  a  sweet  taste  and  strong  dextrorotatory  action.  Its 
reducing  power  for  Fehling's  solution  is  only  half  that  of  dextrose. 
The  quantities  of  crocetin  and  crocose  obtained  by  the  decomposition 
agree  very  closely  with  those  required  by  the  above  equation. 
Picrocrocin. —  Saffron- bitter. — This  substance  crystallizes  out  in  the 
ether-extracting  apparatus  it  the  extraction  be  continued  for  a  long 
time.  It  forms  colorless  prismatic  needles,  very  sparingly  soluble  in 
ether.  It  dissolves  easily  in  water  and  alcohol,  less  so  in  chloroform. 
It  has  a  characteristic  bitter  taste,  which  is  very  persistent.  It  melts 
at  75°  to  a  colorless  liquid.  Its  formula  is  CggHggOjy.  Lead  acetate, 
lime-water  and  baryta-water  give  no  precipitate  in  the  cold,  but 
decomposition  takes  place  on  warming,  crocose  and  the  terpene 
described  above  being  formed.  Picrocrocin  is  thus  a  glucoside  like 
crocin,  and  the  decomposition  may  be  expressed  by  the  equation — . 
—Jour.  Chem.  Soc,  1885,  p.  59;  Berichte,  1884,  pp.  2228-2234. 
So-called  Carbonate  of  Titanium. — In  a  paper  read  before  the 
Detroit  Academy  of  Medicine,  and  published  in  "  Jour.  Am.  Med. 
Assoc.,"  November  29,  1884,  Dr.  A.  B.  Lyons  communicates  the 
analysis  of  a  sample  of  this  new  pretended  remedy,  which  consisted  of 
Ferrous  sulphate  (cryst.)   54*8 
Ferric  oxide  (anhydrous)   40*5 
Salts  of  calcium,  potassium  and  sodium   2*2 
Titanic  acid  and  silica   1*0 
Organic  matter  and  loss   I'o 
100-0 
The  organic  matter  contained  a  vegetable  alkaloid  which  proved  to 
be  sanguinarine.  Practically,  the  powder  consisted  of  a  mixture  of 
nearly  equal  parts  of  sub-carbonate  of  iron  and  sulphate  of  iron,  par- 
tially exsiccated,  with  addition  of  an  insignificant  quantity  of  blood- 
root.    (See  also  ''Am.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1884,  p.  648.) 
