574 
Gleanings  from  Scandinavian  Journals. 
(Am.  Jour.  Pharm 
\      Not.,  18S4. 
to  have,  respectively,  24  and  26  per  cent,  of  ash. — Farm.  Tidskrift, 
1883,  p.  151. 
A  letter  from  a  Swedish  pharmacist  in  the  United  States  concludes 
with  the  advice  that  s*  drunkards  had  better  stay  at  home." 
A  correspondent  of  "  Farmaceutisk  Tidskrift,"  1883,  p.  348  (Swe- 
den), complains  of  a  custom,  not  entirely  unknown  here  in  the  United 
States,  of  physicians  prescribing  unofficinal  galenical  preparations 
(mixtures,  etc.)  by  the  name  of  the  originator ;  such  a  prescription 
cannot  be  understood  by  every  pharmacist.  The  preparation  in  ques- 
tion was  liquor  (solutio)  aluininse  acetatis,  which — originating  wTith 
Burow — is  often  prescribed  as  "  Solutio  Burowi." 
Test  for  Free  Mineral  Acids  in  Vinegar  and  Wines. — J.  G.  Bergman 
takes  advantage  of  the  fact  that  oxalate  of  calcium  is  insoluble  in  acetic 
and  tartaric  acids,  but  soluble  in  mineral  acids.  Take  5  cc.  of  the 
liquid  to  be  examined,  and  5  drops  test-solution  of  oxalate  of  ammo- 
nium, and  then  10  drops  test-solution  of  sulphate  of  calcium.  (The 
addition  of  the  lime  solution  is  not  necessary  with  wines,  which  gene- 
rally contain  sufficient  lime.)  In  the  absence  of  free  mineral  acids,  a 
precipitate  of  oxalate  of  calcium  will  occur  (either  at  once  or  after 
awhile) ;  if,  however,  mineral  acids  be  present,  the  liquid  will  remain 
clear.  After  repeated  experiments  it  was  found  that  as  little  as  one- 
half  of  1  per  cent,  of  free  sulphuric,  nitric  and  muriatic  acids  could  be 
detected.— Farm.  Tidshrft,  1883,  p.  251. 
Absorbent  Cotton. — E.  Poulsson  modifies  Slocum's  process  (see  "Am. 
Jour.  Phar.,"  1881,  p.  53)  as  follows:  1  kilogram  cotton  is  boiled  for 
half  an  hour  in  4  litres  water,  containing  25  grams  caustic  potassa, 
and  then  well  washed  till  every  trace  of  alkali  has  been  removed.  It 
is  squeezed  quite  dry  and  put  for  15  to  20  minutes  in  a  5  per  cent, 
solution  of  chlorinated  lime.  After  washing  with  a  little  w7a:er  (not 
too  much)  the  cotton  is  dipped  into  water  acidulated  wTith  muriatic 
acid  (about  30  grams  diluted  muriatic  acid  to  4  liters  water),  rinsed  in 
fresh  water,  and  boiled  again  in  alkaline  water  of  the  above  mentioned 
strength.  After  washing,  it  is  dipped  into  the  acid  solution  and  rinsed 
perfectly.    Let  dry. — Farm.  Tidshrift,  1884,  p.  22. 
Codeixe  Jeelv. — Dr.  G.  S.  Mahomed  draws  attention  to  a  preparation 
in  the  form  of  jelly  containing  codeine,  citric  acid,  torn,  and  glycerin, 
which  he  found  a  pleasant  and  serviceable  agent  in  the  treatment  of  chronic 
laryngitis,  phthisical  cough,  etc.— Brit.  Med.  Jour. 
