194  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  {AmApriri;f89i.rm' 
alcohol  at  95 °,  520  ccm.  This  liquor  gives  the  same  results, 
measured  or  weighed.  One  gram,  or  1  ccm.  of  it,  corresponds  to 
50  drops,  thus  permitting  of  the  administration  of  one-fiftieth  of  a 
milligramme  of  active  principle. 
Resopyrin. — M.  Portes  described  at  the  Feb.  4th  meeting  of 
the  Soc  dc  Phar.  cie  Paris,  a  new  composite  made  by  Dr.  Roux 
from  antipyrin  and  resorcin.  He  made  1  to  3  solutions  of  these 
substances  and  mixed  them  in  like  proportions  with  their  equiva- 
lents. The  resultant  crystals  appeared  in  the  form  of  oblique 
prisms  with  rhombic  bases.  They  were  colorless,  soluble  in  100 
parts  of  alcohol  and  in  ether  and  chloroform.  They  were  nearly 
insoluble  in  water,  and  were  odorless  and  almost  tasteless,  saving  a 
slightly  sharp  impression  upon  the  tongue. 
Preparation  of  Hypnal,  or  Monochloral-Antipyrin. — In  an 
article  in  the  Bull,  dc  la  Sociei'e  des  Pharm.,  No.  9,  1891,  M.  Demandre 
writes  that  pharmacists  may  easily  prepare  this  compound  for  their 
own  use.  He  gives  the  following  method  :  Make  a  solution  of  47 
gm.  of  chloral  in  50  gm.  distilled  water;  make  a  solution  of  53 
gm.  of  antipyrin  in  the  same  quantity  of  distilled  water;  mix 
these  solutions  and  place  the  liquor  in  a  funnel  provided  with  a 
stop-cock.  An  oily  liquid  falls  from  the  aqueous  mass  ;  this  portion 
is  drawn  into  one  capsule  and  the  water  into  another.  In  about  24 
hours  the  oily  liquid  is  found  to  have  become  almost  wholly  trans- 
formed into  a  mass  of  transparent  rhombic  crystals.  A  few  smaller 
crystals  have  formed  in  the  centre  of  the  aqueous  liquor.  The 
mother  liquors  are  now  drained  off  from  both  crystalline  formations 
and  the  crystals  mixed  together.  The  latter  are  then  dried  between 
sheets  of  filtering  paper,  or  under  a  bell-glass  in  the  presence  of 
sulphuric  acid. 
Oil  of  Strophaxthus. — The  seeds  of  Strophanthus  hispidus  give 
24  per  cent,  of  a  greenish  yellow  or  greenish  brown  oil,  having  a 
density  of  0-9247  at  210  (according  to  Fischer),  and  0-925  at  150 
(according  to  Helbig).  It  has  a  faint  "  narcotic  odor."  It  easily 
saponifies  with  potash.  It  contains  92  per  cent,  of  fat  acids,  which 
melt  at  440  and  solidify  at  380.  The  co-efficient  of  saponification  is 
179  5  With  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  it  gives  a  brownish  green 
viscous  mass.  With  nitric  acid  it  becomes  emerald  green.  With 
fuming  nitric  acid  it  gives  a  green  coloration,  passing  to  reddish 
