222  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  {AmM0ayr,'i89iarm' 
and  distilling.  This  method  is  recommended  as  one  of  the  stages 
in  the  purification  of  pyroligneous  acid  ;  the  first  tenth  and  the 
last  twentieth  only  have  a  slight  color  and  empyreumatic  odor-;  the 
intermediate  portions  are  free  from  color  and  foreign  odor.  — A. 
Kibitz,  Pharm.Post,  1891,  253. 
Analytical  weights  are  recommended  by  A.  Gawalowski  to  be 
made 'of  the  following  alloy  :  Aluminum  80  parts,  gold  8  parts, 
silver  2-5  parts  and  platinum  4  parts.  This  alloy  has  a  specific 
gravity  of  5-0,  which  will  allow  of  all  the  weights,  even  the  0*5  milli- 
gram and  the  riders  to  be  made  of  the  same  material.  The  weights 
are  not  altered  in  the  laboratory  atmosphere,  they  take  a  high  pol- 
ish and  (the  gram  weights)  are  about  twice  the  size  of  the  brass 
weights.  He  also  recommends  the  weights  to  be  made  of  such 
shape  as  to  do  away  with  sharp  edges  and  corners,  so  that  they 
may  easily  be  kept  clean. — Rundschau,  1891,  189. 
Constituents  of  Star -anise.  The  determinations  of  volatile  oil, 
fixed  oil  and  ash  gave  the  following  percentage  figures  : 
Carpels, 
Seeds,  . 
Volatile  Oil. 
Fixed  Oil. 
Ash. 
T6-II 
2-81 
l5"20 
1  1  47 
(-3-00 
(-229 
2*46 
\2-40 
1 217 
The  volatile  oil  consists  chiefly  of  anethol  C6H4(OCH3)C3H5 ;  with 
small  quantities  of  terpenes,  safrol  C6H3(02CH2)C3H5,  the  monoethyl 
ether  of  hydroquinone  C6H4(OH)OC2H5,  anisic  acid  C6H4(OCH3) 
COOH,  and  a  complex  aromatic  substance  yielding  upon  oxidation 
veratric  acid  and  piperonal.  The  fixed  oil  contains  the  usual  con- 
stituents along  with  cholesterin  and  derivatives  of  phosphoric  acid. 
In  the  aqueous  extract  is  found  protocatechuic  acid  and  shikiminic 
acid  C7H10O5,  which  by  nascent  hydrogen  iodide  is  converted  into 
benzoic  acid.  Sugar  was  not  found  in  any  appreciable  quantity,  the 
sweet  taste  of  the  fruit,  therefore,  depending  upon  the  volatile  oil. 
Nitrogenous  bases  could  not  be  detected. — F.  Ostwald,  Arch,  der 
Pharm.,  1891,  84-115. 
The  tannin  of  Algarobilla  (the  fruit  of  Caesalpinia  brevifolia, 
Benth.)  is  a  mixture  of  two  tannins ;  one  of  which  (present  to  the 
extent  of  8-IO  per  cent.)  is  the  glucoside  of  gallic  acid,  yielding 
upon  hydrolysis  gallic  acid  and  sugar  (dextrose)  ;  the  other  tannin 
present  in  much  larger  quantity  is  a  tannic  acid  proper  of  the 
formula  CuH10O10,  which  at  ioo°  C.  easily  loses  two  molecules  of 
