AmsJeptr,'iS13arrn'}  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  453 
more  efficacious  than  sulphur. — Dr.  Demontporcelet  and  Ch.  Fery; 
L union  pharm.,  June,  1893,  P-  249- 
Estimation  of  uric  acid. — P.  Ducong  uses  for  this  purpose  a  modi- 
fication of  Arthaud  and  Butte's  copper  hyposulphite  test  (see  Amer. 
Jour.  Pharm.,  1890,  p.  134).  Since  the  cupric  hyposulphite  solution 
is  very  alterable,  the  author  prepares  the  following  solutions,  which, 
separatelv,  are  permanent : 
Solution  1. — Pure  crystallized  copper  sulphate  4  47  gm.,  sulphuric 
acid  5  drops;  diluted  with  distilled  water  to  1,000  cc. 
Solution  2. — Hyposulphite  of  sodium,  45  gm.;  potassium  sodium 
tartrate,  45  gm.;  diluted  to  1,000  cc.  with  distilled  water. 
Every  10  cc.  of  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  these  two  solutions 
employed,  indicate  I  cgm.  of  uric  acid  per  litre  of  urine  examined. 
The  reaction  takes  place  according  to  the  formula  : 
S203Cu2  -1-  C5H2N403Na2  ='  S2OsNa2  +  C5H2N4OsCu2 
— L union  pharm. ,  July,  1893,  p.  329. 
Eczemine  is  a  ptomaine  not  found  in  normal  urine,  but  occurs  in 
urine  during  eczema.  It  is  poisonous,  a  hypodermic  injection  hav- 
ing caused  in  a  rabbit  inflammation,  fever  and  finally  death.  It 
forms  a  hydrochlorate,  an  auro-chloride,  and  a  platino-chlorate,  and 
yields  precipitates  with  various  acids,  mercuric  chloride  and  Ness- 
ler's  reagent.  Analysis  assigns  to  it  the  formula  C7H15NO. — Acad.d. 
scien.,  May,  1893  ;  four,  de  pharm.  et  de  chim.,  July,  1893,  p.  78. 
The  test  for  blood  in  urine  with  turpentine  and  tincture  of  guaia- 
cum  wood  will  not  produce  the  blue  coloration,  according  to  Ferraro, 
if  ammonium  is  present  in  the  free  state,  even  when  blood  is  present 
in  notable  quantities.  If  ammonium  carbonate  in  excess  be  added 
to  a  urine  containing  blood  of  faintly  acid  reaction,  the  above 
reagents  produce  the  blue  color,  which,  however,  disappears  under 
the  influence  of  heat  as  ammonium  is  set  free  from  the  carbonate  ; 
while  with  the  direct  addition  of  free  ammonium  the  tests  do  not 
respond  at  all. — Bollet.  farm.;  through  Monit.  de  la  pharm.,  May, 
1893,  P-  1270. 
For  recognizing  artificial  coloring  matters  in  wines  the  following 
process  is  given  in  Revue  vinicole,  based  on  the  property  of  a 
saponaceous  solution  of  destroying  the  natural  coloring  matter  of 
wine,  while  foreign  colorants  are  not  attacked  :  5  cc.  of  hydro- 
metric  solution  are  mixed  with  5  cc.  distilled  water,  5  to  10  drops 
