June  1885 Gleanings  from  Foreign  Journals.  293 
sia  wood  with  5,000  parts  of  water,  then  boil  for  J  hour.  Set  aside 
for  24  hours,  and  press.  Mix  the  liquid  with  150  parts  of  molasses, 
and  evaporate  to  200  parts.  A  weaker  decoction  of  quassia  does  not 
kill  the  flies. 
Tincture  of  iodine  is  proposed  as  a  new  blow-pipe  reagent  by  Wheeler 
and  Ludeking,  who  find  it  to  take  the  place  of  hydriodic  acid,  recom- 
mended by  E.  Haanel.  In  place  of  the  ordinarily  used  charcoal  they 
recommend  discs  made  of  plaster  of  Paris.  The  substance  to  be  exam- 
ined is  [)laced  on  one  end  of  the  disc,  moistened  with  the  tincture,  and 
then  heated  with  the  blue  flame ;  the  volatilized  iodides  settle  on  the 
cooler  part  of  the  disc.  The  metals  are  distinguished  by  the  follow- 
ing colors:  arsenic,  orange^red;  lead,  chrome  yellow;  tin,  orange- 
brown  ;  silver,  pale  grayish  yellow  when  cold,  and  light  yellow  when 
hot;  antimony,  orange-red ;  mercury,  yellow,  soon  changing  to  scar- 
let; selenium,  reddish  brown;  bismuth,  chocolate-brown,  with  red 
border  on  the  side  nearest  the  substance  examined ;  cobalt,  greenish 
brown,  with  green  border  (the  brownish  hue  soon  changes  to  light 
green,  especially  when  blown  upon) ;  molybdenum,  deep  ultramarine 
blue  near  the  heated  spot;  tungsten,  pale  greenish  yellow  near  the 
heated  spot;  copper,  white ;  cadmium,  white,  turning  bright  golden 
yellow  when  vapor  of  sulphide  of  ammonium  is  blown  over  it;  zinc, 
white,  disappearing  soon. 
If  a  drop  of  a  solution  of  ammonia  be  added  to,  or  if  ammoniacal 
vapor  be  blown  upon  the  velvety  chocolate- brown  mass  produced  by 
bismuth,  the  color  changes  from  brown  to  bright  red. 
Many  of  the  colors  soon  vanish.  By  this  method  tin  and  zinc  can 
be  distinguished  by  means  of  the  blow-pipe.  The  reaction  of  molyb- 
denum is  distinct  and  characteristic. —  Chemiker  Zeitung. 
Terpin  has  been  rcommended  as  an  excellent  expectorant  in  bron- 
chitis, in  doses  from  0  20  to  0'40  Gm. 
Fournie  prepares  terpin  as  follows :  a  mixture  of  4  liters  of  recti- 
fied oil  of  turpentine,  3  liters  of  alcohol  (80°),  and  1  liter  of  nitric 
acid,  is  placed  in  large  shallow  porcelain  or  glass  vessels.  The  crys- 
tals which  separate  are  collected,  dried  between  folds  of  filtering  paper, 
and  again  dissolved  in  95  per  cent,  alcohol  which  has  been  made  alka- 
line so  as  to  neutralize  any  adhering  HNO3 ;  the  solution  is  set  aside 
in  a  cool  place  to  crystallize.  The  yield  is  about  12  per  cent,  of  the 
turpentine  used. — Lyon  Med.;  Ph.  Centralhalle,  No.  17. 
