^"""iierisss^'"'"}    Food  for  Infants  and  Bread  for  Diabetics.  607 
nia  (liquor  Dzondii).  The  precipitate,  consisting  of  oxide  of  lead 
and  the  glucosides  of  digitalis,  is  washed  on  a  filter,  then  made  into  a 
soft  paste  with  water,  and  sulphuretted  hydrogen  passed  into  it.  It  is 
again  placed  on  a  filter ;  the  filtrate  contains  all  of  the  digitalein  ;  but 
digitin  and  digitalin,  being  almost  insoluble  in  water,  remain  on  the 
filter  together  with  the  sulphide  of  lead.  Chloroform  dissolves  the 
digitalin,  and  alcohol  the  digitin.  Pure  digitalin  and  digitin  are 
obtained  by  evaporating  the  respective  solutions.  Picrotoxin  and 
solanin  are  obtained  in  the  same  way,  but  are  distinguished  as  follows: 
The  picrotoxin  precipitate  is  mucilaginous,  acquiring  on  the  addi- 
tion of  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  a  saffron-yellow  color. 
The  digitalin  precipitate  is  gelatinous,  and  acquires  a  flesh  color  on 
the  addition  of  concentrated  sulphuric  acid. 
The  solanin  precipitate  is  granular,  and  on  the  addition  of  concen- 
trated sulphuric  acid  turns  dark ;  if  sugar  is  added  it  assumes  s  violet 
color,  gradually  turning  to  blue. — Phar.  Zeit.f.  BmssL,  xxiv,  p.  561. 
New  Method  of  Preparing  Cocaine. — Prof.  Bignon  recommends  the 
liquid  hydrocarbons  as  solvents  for  cocaine.  He  proceeds  as  follows  : 
Ooca  leaves  are  macerated  about  48  hours  in  a  solution  of  sodium  car- 
bonate (20°),  then  dried  and  placed  in  a  percolator  with  benzin,  and 
again  allowed  to  stand  48  hours.  All  of  the  cocaine  which  has  been 
isolated  by  the  sodium  carbonate  will  be  dissolved  by  the  benzin.  The 
benzin  solution  is  shaken  with  water  acidulated  with  hydrochloric  acid 
(1-10),  thus  forming  cocaine  hydrochlorate,  which  dissolves  in  the 
water.  The  coloring  and  resinous  matter  which  has  been  dissolved 
by  the  benzin  remains  with  the  latter,  thi  acid  solution  containing 
pure  cocaine  hydrochlorate. — Z'  Union  Pharmac,  xxvi,  p.  456. 
FOOD  FOR  INFANTS  AND  BREAD  FOR  DIABETICS. 
By  Dr.  H.  Bcehnke-Reich. 
In  "Zeitschrift  d.  Allg.  Oesterr.  Apoth.  Yer.,''  1885,  p.  406-408, 
the  author  directs  attention  to  a  biscuit  and  a  bread,  the  manufacture 
of  which  has  been  undertaken  by  H.  O.  Opel,  of  Leipzig,  under  the 
.•supervision  of  a  chemist.  Dr.  Geo.  Kerner. 
The  nutritive  biscuit  is  intended  for  infants  after  they  have  reached 
the  age  of  about  four  months,  but  is  also  quite  agreeable  to  adults,  and 
particularly  strengthening  to  nursing  mothers.    It  is  prepared  from 
