Am'ip]di;f893ariu'}  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  175 
sufficiently  high  to  sterilize  it.  He  uses  glass  for  filtering,  which, 
besides  retaining  the  suspended  impurities  as  well  as  the  paper,  has 
the  additional  advantage  of  serving  indefinitely.  He  suggests  fur- 
ther that  the  containers  should  be  of  such  a  dimension  as  to  insure 
rapid  emptying. 
Alteration  of  iodoform  preparations. — When  iodoform  is  dissolved 
in  liquid  cacao  butter,  and  the  mixture  allowed  to  solidify,  exposure 
to  the  light  will  soon  cause  a  reddish  coloration.  H.  Barnouvin 
Jour,  de  Pharm.  et  de  Chim.,  March,  1893,  P-  274)  finds  that  while 
fluid  preparations  show  this  change  even  in  the  dark,  solid  iodoform 
preparations  remain  unaltered  indefinitely  if  exposure  to  the  light 
is  avoided. 
Benzoparacresoly  analogous  to  benzonaphthol-benzosol,  is  prepared 
according  to  M.  Petit  by  treating  paracresol  with  sodium  benzoate 
in  the  presence  of  oxychloride  of  phosphorus ;  it  crystallizes  from 
hot  alcohol  in  beautiful  crystals,  having  a  slight  ethereal  odor,  and 
a  fusing  point  of  70-71 0  ;  insoluble  in  water,  but  very  soluble  in 
ether  and  chloroform. — Jour,  de  Pharm.  et  de  Chim.,  March,  1893, 
p.  294. 
Purity  of  zinc. — -According  to  Lescoeur  [L  Union  pharm.,  Jan., 
1893,  P-  34)>  zinc,  prepared  by  the  double  treatment  of  oxidation  by 
potassium  nitrate,  and  fusion  with  zinc  chloride,  is  entirely  free  from 
arsenic,  antimony,  sulphur  and  phosphorus,  while  the  iron,  lead, 
copper,  etc.,  which  it  still  contains,  present  ordinarily  no  inconve- 
niences. On  the  contrary,  the  presence  of  these  metals  facilitates 
the  action  of  acids  and  the  disengagement  of  hydrogen. 
Cerberin  is  a  glucoside  obtained  from  a  Mexican  plant  of  the  genus 
Thevetia,  nat.  ord.  Apocynaceae.  It  is  a  yellowish,  amorphous, 
bitter  powder,  easily  soluble  in  water  and  alcohol ;  the  action  of 
dilute  sulphuric  acid  produces  glucose  and  cerberesin.  Dr.  Zotos 
(thesis,  Dorpat,  1892)  shows  its  physiological  effects  on  the  heart, 
when  administered  hypodermically,  to  be  analogous  to  those  of  the 
digitalis  group. — L  Union  pharm.,  Feb.,  1893,  p.  90. 
Myrrholin  is  a  solution  of  one  part  of  myrrh  in  one  of  oil,  and 
is  said  to  have  given  good  results  in  tuberculous  laryngitis  ;  it  is 
administered  in  capsules  containing  0-20  gm.  of  myrrholin  and 
0  30  gm.  of  creasote. — U  Union  pharm.,  Feb.,  1893,  P-  95- 
Resorcylalgin. — On  mixing  /3-resorcylic  acid  and  analgesin,  a  pre 
