33°  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  { Xm'jniyT,'ml&rm' 
alcoholic  extract  of  the  drug  into  acidulated  water,  and  agitating  the 
clear  filtrate  with  ether.  A  similar  result  was  obtained  by  treating 
the  commercial  European  variety,  as  found  in  this  market,  in  the 
same  manner,  although  the  amount  of  crystals  obtained  was  much 
less. 
The  amount  of  volatile  oil,  as  given  in  the  above  summary,  being 
much  in  excess  of  that  found  in  the  European  variety,  it  was  decided 
to  confirm  this  by  distilling  a  quantity  of  the  drug  with  water. 
Three  pounds  of  the  coarsely  powdered  drug  treated  in  this  manner 
yielded  a  distillate,  which,  when  freed  from  valerianic  acid,  weighed 
one  and  six-tenths  ounces,  equivalent  to  3  33  per  cent.  Undoubtedly 
the  exact  amount  of  volatile  oil  was  somewhat  in  excess  of  the 
above  figure,  since  a  portion  of  oleoresin  necessarily  consisted  of 
volatile  oil. 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  GERMAN  JOURNALS.-. 
By  Frank  X.  Moerk,  Ph.G. 
Sedatin,  a  new  patented  sedative,  is  chemically  para-valeryl- 
phenetidine  manufactured  by  the  action  of  valerianic  acid  upon 
phenetidine  or  by  the  action  of  phenetidine  hydrochlorate  upon 
sodium  valerianate ;  instead  of  valerianic  acid  or  its  sodium  salt 
valeryl  chloride  or  valerianic  anhydride  may  be  utilized.  The  pro- 
duct crystallizes  in  fine  needles,  boils  at  350-3600  C,  and  is  only 
slightly  soluble  in  benzin,  ether,  chloroform,  acetone  and  cold  ethyl 
and  methyl  alcohols,  quite  soluble  in  the  last  two  solvents  when  hot. 
— Rundschau,  1893,497. 
Fat  and  oil  examinations. — The  detection  of  the  unsaturated  fatty 
acids  as  constituents  of  fats  and  oils  was  made  possible  by  the 
researches  of  Hazura;  the  method  depended  upon  the  separation 
of  the  lead  salts  of  the  unsaturated  fatty  acids  by  treatment  with 
ether,  liberating  the  fatty  acids  with  dilute  hydrochloric  acid,  dis- 
solving them  in  aqueous  alkali  and  oxidizing  with  potassium  per- 
manganate solution.  Dr.  W.  Fahrion  has  notably  simplified  this 
tedious  method,  so  that  it  is  possible  to  carry  out  the  oxidation  of  the 
unsaturated  fatty  acids  in  the  original  soap  solution ;  the  modifica- 
tion is  possible  because  of  the  following  facts  :  The  saturated  fatty 
acids  are  not  affected  by  potassium  permanganate  solution  so  long 
as  unchanged  unsaturated  fatty  acids  are  present ;  petroleum-ether 
