478 
EDITORIAL. 
The  statement  on  pags  71  that  sulphate  of  magnesia  does  not  precipitate 
the  carbonate  of  ammonia,  requires  qualification,  to  the  effect  that  in  the 
absence  of  ammonia  salts,  salts  of  magnesia  will  be  precipitated  to  some 
extent  after  some  time  by  the  neutral  carbonate. 
Phosphomolybdate  of  soda  does  not  precipitate  alkaline  solutions  of 
ammonia  (p.  94).  On  the  same  page  and  page  85,  it  is  stated  that  anti- 
moniate  of  potassa  produces  no  precipitate  with  ammonia  or  its  salts  ;  is 
this  positively  the  case  under  all  circumstances  ?  When  testing  by  this 
reagent  for  soda  in  the  presence  of  ammonia  salts,  it  has  been  customary 
to  previously  destroy  the  latter  (see  Fresenius'  Qualitative  Analysis). 
For  the  separation  of  poisonous  alkaloids,  Dr.  Wormley  considers  the 
methods  of  Stas,  of  Rogers  and  Girdwood,  of  Uslar  and  Erdmann,  of 
Graham  and  Hofmann,  and  by  dialysis.  This  last  process  has  given  very 
unsatisfactory  results  in  regard  to  quantity,  which  is  corroborated  by  several 
other  experimenters,  A.  T.  Machattie  stated  in  1864  (Chem.  News,  x. 
183)  that  the  results  are  much  more  satisfactory  if  the  membrane  of  the 
stomach  or  the  intestines  is  used  for  the  dialytic  septum  instead  of  parch- 
ment paper.  Uslar  and  Erdmann's  process  has  lately  been  considerably 
improved  by  Dragendorff,  in  the  substitution  of  pure  benzine  for  amylic 
alcohol. 
For  the  separation  of  morphia  by  Stas'  method,  acetic  ether  was  proposed 
instead  of  ether  by  A.  Valser,  in  1862,  the  alkaloid  being  more  freely 
soluble  in  the  former  liquid. 
The  tests  used  for  the  alkaloids  are  mostly  those  of  long  established 
value  ;  the  solution  of  bromine  in  bromhydric  acid  we  believe  is  a  new  one, 
— it  is  for  many  alkaloids  pretty  delicate,  but,  as  the  author  states,  the 
reaction  is  common  to  most  of  the  alkaloids,  and  many  other  organic  com- 
pounds. 
A  number  of  reagents  which  have  been  proposed  during  the  last  ten 
years,  partly  for  recognizing  thealkaloids  as  a  class,  partly  for  distinguish- 
ing them,  and  partly  for  separating  them  from  organic  mixtures,  have  not 
been  experimented  with.  We  refer  particularly  to  Sonnenschein's  phospho- 
molybdic  acid,  Scheibler's  phospho-tungstic  acid,  Schultze's  pentachloride 
of  antimony  and  phosphoric  acid,  Horsley's  nitro-prusside  of  sodium, 
Delff's  platino-cyanide  of  potassium,  and  to  Hel  wig's  method  of  sublimation  ; 
also  to  Von  Planta's  hydrargyro-iodide  of  potassium,  which  was  modified 
by  Th.  B.  Groves,  and  has  been  used  in  this  modified  state  by  Prof.  F.  F. 
Mayer,  for  the  quantitative  estimation  of  the  alkaloids  as  well  as  for  their 
separation  in  a  pure  state,  and  finally  to  R.  Wagner's  method  of  volumetric 
estimation  of  many  alkaloids  by  iodide  of  potassium.  One  or  two  other 
tests  have  been  recommended  so  recently  that  the  author  could  not  have 
examined  them  for  his  present  work  with  the  same  minuteness  which 
characterizes  all  his  researches  in  the  field  of  micro-chemistry.* 
Among  the  many  new  facts  and  new  suggestions  which  we  met  with  in 
our  hasty  examination  of  Dr.  Wormley's  work,  the  following  appears  to  us 
