450  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  {AmsJemr;Sarm- 
whitish  gray  powder,  composed  of  a  mixture  of  various  diastases 
and  some  nitrogenized  matter. 
The  author  was  able  to  prove  that  beside  invertin  and  diastase, 
this  fungus  secretes  also  a  ferment  acting  like  emulsin.  He  placed  in  a 
test  tube  10  cc.  of  a  solution  (i  :  100)  of  amygdalin  and  added  o  io 
gm.  of  the  ferment  extracted  from  Penicillium,  and  found  after  24 
hours  that  the  amygdalin  had  entirely  decomposed  into  glucose, 
essence  of  bitter  almonds  and  hydrocyanic  acid. — Jour,  de  pharm. 
et  de  chim.,  July,  1893,  Page  rI- 
Trehalase — a  new  soluble  ferment. — The  circumstance  that,  while 
trehalose  is  formed  in  mushrooms  when  these  commence  to  produce 
their  spores,  it  gradually  diminishes  as  they  approach  maturity,  and 
that  glucose  makes  its  appearance  at  this  time,  suggested  to  Em. 
Bourquelot  the  possible  presence  of  a  ferment  converting  the  one 
into  the  other ;  he  found  the  ferment  for  the  first  time  in  Aspergillus 
niger,  and  proposes  to  name  it  trehalase,  in  conformity  with  the 
name  maltase  designating  the  ferment  of  maltose.  As  this  product 
acts  not  only  on  trehalose  but  also  on  maltose,  two  hypotheses  pre- 
sent themselves — either  that  Aspergillus  secretes  only  one  ferment, 
but  acting  upon  two  sugars  ;  or  that  two  are  secreted,  each  with  its 
own  proper  activity.  Investigating  this  matter  further,  the  author 
found  that  the  action  upon  trehalose  is  entirely  destroyed  at  63 0  C, 
while  the  action  upon  maltose  still  persists  to  between  74-75 °, 
thus  proving  the  probable  presence  of  two  ferments. — Jour,  de 
pharm.  et  de  chim.,  May,  1893,  P-  497  • 
Differentiation  of  a-  and  fi-naphthol. — M.  Aymonier  uses  the  fol- 
lowing reagent  for  distinguishing  between  a-  and  ^-naphthol :  Potas- 
sium bichromate,  1  gm.;  distilled  water,  10  cc;  pure  nitric  acid? 
1  gm.  A  few  drops  of  this  reagent  produce  with  a-naphthol  an  imme- 
diate black  precipitate  which  darkens  upon  further  addition  of  the 
reagent,  while  y3-naphthol  is  not  affected  by  the  test.  Salol,  benzo- 
naphthol,  thymol  and  other  phenols  are  likewise  insensible  to  this 
reagent. — L union  pharm.,  July,  1893,  P-  334- 
Liquid  antiseptic  salol  was  described  by  P.  Reynier  before  the 
Soc.  de  Biologie  as  a  product  worthy  of  various  application  in  sur- 
gery. It  fuses  at  4C-420  C,  and  then  remains  liquid  below  that 
point  for  some  time.  Beside  the  combination  with  camphor,  it 
combines  also  with  iodoform  and  aristol,  with  which  substances  it 
