174  Gleanings  from  Foreign  Journals.  {^^'k^^x'^^b^^ 
proportions  given  are  essential  to  success ;  the  test  is  more  delicate 
than  tliat  with  brucine. — Pharni.  Ztg.,  No.  14. 
Syrup  of  Pineapple. — Cut  5  kilos  of  selected  pineapples  in  small 
pieces,  transfer  into  a  bottle,  add  5  kilos  each  of  white  wine  and  water, 
and  macerate  at  a  medium  temperature  for  several  days.  Boil  30  kilos 
of  sugar  with  20  kilos  of  water,  add  the  strained  infusion,  heat  to 
ebullition,  and  strain  through  flannel. 
Syrup  of  Apricot. — Digest,  for  six  days,  5  kilos  each  of  white  wine, 
water  and  ripe  apricots,  freed  from  stones  and  cut  into  small  pieces ; 
strain,  press  very  gently,  and  add  to  the  hot  syrup,  prepared  as  above 
of  40  kilos  of  sugar  and  30  kilos  ot  water.  When  cold,  add  200  Gm. 
of  artificial  essence  of  apricots. — Erfind.  unci  Erf  ah. 
Shoe  Blacking. — Mix  100  parts  b(jne  black,  50  parts  glycerin,  5 
parts  oil  and  10  parts  of  vinegar.  This  blacking  is  said  to  give  excel- 
lent shine,  and  to  keep  the  leather  smooth  and  soft. 
Tramparent  Glue  for  Porcelain. —  Dissolve  75  Gin.  caoutchouc, 
in  small  pieces,  in  60  Gm.  of  chloroform;  add  15  Gm.  of  mastic, 
and  dissolve  without  heat. —  Chemikcr  Ztg.,  No.  14,  1885,  p.  254; 
Nature,  1884,  xii,  p.  587. 
REACTIONS  WITH  CARBON  AND  SOME  OF  ITS  COM- 
POUNDS. 
Bv  G.  Gore. 
When  white  or  red  phosphorus,  or  powdered  arsenic  or  antimony 
or  sodium,  are  added  to  fused  potassium  cyanide;  or  when  aluminium 
or  sodium  phosphide,  or  a  mixture  of  sodium  phosphide  with  zinc,  is 
added  to  fused  potassium  and  sodium  carbonates;  or  when  sodium 
carlwnate  is  decomposed  at  a  low  red  heat  by  phosphorus  vapor  ;  or 
when  a  mixture  of  red  phosphorus  and  ammonium  carbonate  is  dropped 
into  a  red-hot  porcelain  crucible,  a  black  substance  separates,  which  in 
some  cases  is  found  to  be  carbon.  Carbon  is  also  obtained  when  coal- 
gas  is  passed  over  red-hot  finely  powdered  ferric  oxide,  or  over  just 
fused  argentic  fluoride  or  chloride,  or  over  chloride  of  lead  or  copper. 
Arsenic  and  antimony  do  not  visibly  decompose  fused  sodium  and 
potassium  carbonates;  neither  is  carbon  set  free  when  ammonium  car- 
bonate is  added  to  fused  sodium;  nor  when  coal-gas  is  passed  over 
fused  cadmium  chloride  or  silver  iodide ;  nor  in  several  experiments 
wherein  numerous  hydrocarbons,  in  various  solvents,  were  exposed  to 
metals  and  metallic  couples.    Several  unsuccessful  attempts  at  deoxi- 
