Am April',  S93arm* }  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  169 
a  water-bath.  At  about  95 0  C,  the  substance  fused,  decomposition 
taking  place,  in  which  acetic  anhydride  was  liberated,  and  at  ioo° 
C.  the  substance  became  a  transparent,  friable,  solid  mass. 
Another  portion  of  the  derivative  was  boiled  with  water,  which 
also  caused  acetous  odor  to  be  given  off,  but  nothing  was  dissolved 
by  the  water  which  would  give  color  with  ferric  acetate.  Under  the 
influence  of  the  boiling  water,  the  substance  assumed  a  plastic  con- 
dition, and,  as  would  be  expected,  upon  becoming  cold,  it  became  a 
brittle,  opaque  mass.  Both  residues  fused  above  ioo°  C.  and  below 
1200  C.  The  former  seemed  to  contain  more  acetic  acid  than  the 
latter. 
The  tannin  was  submitted  to  combustion  with  the  following 
results : 
(I)  '1629  gram  tannin  gave  -3488  gm. 
CO  2  and 
•0792  gm. 
H20. 
(II)  T376        "         "  -2912 
t.<       <  < 
•0652 
(III)  -1815        "         "         -3875  ' 
•0872 
II, 
in. 
Average. 
c,  •  .  .  •  ,  58-39 
5771 
58-22 
58-IO 
H,    5'4o 
5-26 
5'33 
5-33 
0,   36-21 
37*03 
36-45 
36-57 
The  result  of  these  combustions  indicates  that  canaigre  tannin 
belongs  to  a  group,  of  which  the  tannins  from  mangrove  and 
rhatany  are  typical  representatives. 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
By  Frank  X.  Moerk,  Ph.G. 
Adulterated  litharge,  containing  ten  per  cent,  of  matter  insoluble 
in  acetic  acid,  is  reported  by  Dr.  A.  Schneegans;  the  adulterant  was 
proven  to  be  fine  white  sand  colored  with  a  little  ferric  oxide. — 
Journ.  Phar.  Els.-Lothr.,  1 893 ,  41 . 
Santonin  reactions. — (1 )  The  color  reaction  with  sulphuric  acid  and 
solution  of  ferric  chloride,  if  applied  as  follows,  will  uniformly  give 
the  same  result :  In  a  test  tube,  dissolve  the  santonin  in  sulphuric 
acid,  in  another  tube  mix  about  one-half  drop  of  solution  of  ferric 
chloride  with  one  cc.  water  ;  upon  mixing  the  two  solutions,  con- 
siderable heat  is  evolved,  but  only  enough  to  cause  a  yellow  color 
in  the  mixture ;  if  the  test  be  warmed  for  a  few  seconds  by  use  of 
