348  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  {AmJu(ij%iF9iaim' 
rating  funnel  containing  50  cc.  water  and  2  cc.  dilute  sulphuric  acid 
(sp.  gr.  1-117),  or  sufficient  to  give  the  aqueous  solution  an  acid 
reaction  after  agitation  with  the  ethereal  solution ;  separate  the 
acid,  yellowish  solution  from  the  ethereal  layer,  warm  to  expel  the 
dissolved  ether  and  return  to  the  cleansed  separating  funnel  ;  add  30 
cc.  chloroform,  then  sufficient  sodium  hydrate  solution  to  precipitate 
the  alkaloids,  and  agitate  at  once  for  several  minutes  ;  the  chloroform 
solution  is  removed  to  a  small  tared  flask  and  the  agitation  repeated 
with  portions  of  chloroform  of  20  cc.  each  until  the  alkaline  solution 
after  acidifying,  fails  to  give  a  precipitate  with  iodine  solution  ;  distil 
off  the  chloroform  or  allow  to  evaporate,  and  dry  the  contents  of 
the  flask  at  ioo°  C.  to  constant  weight.  In  case  the  chloroform  forms 
an  emulsion  when  shaken  with  the  alkaline  solution,  this  is  poured 
upon  a  filter,  well  wetted  with  chloroform,  stirred  with  a  glass  rod 
and  washed  with  a  little  chloroform.  The  success  of  this  method 
depends  largely  upon  the  fineness  of  the  powder  used. 
This  method  was  deemed  the  best  one  for  the  assay  of  cinchona, 
and  is  recommended  by  the  committee  for  the  new  Swiss  Pharma- 
copoeia.— W.  Haubensak,  Schwz.  Wochenschr.  f  Pharm.,  1 891 ,  147. 
The  manufacture  of  metallic  sodium  by  electrolysis  of  the  fused 
chloride  has  not  been  successful  in  practice  because  of  the  high 
temperature  at  which  sodium  chloride  melts,  this  bringing  about 
reunion  of  the  two  elements ;  a  patent  has  recently  been  granted  to 
L.  Grabau,  in  which  the  melting  point  of  sodium  chloride  is  consid- 
erably reduced  by  addition  of  potassium  and  strontium  chlorides. 
The  metal  obtained  by  electrolysis  of  a  mixture  containing  3  mole- 
cules each  of  sodium  and  potassium  chlorides  and  2  molecules  of 
strontium  chloride  is  entirely  free  from  strontium,  but  contains  about 
3  per  cent,  potassium,  from  which  it  may  be  -freed,  if  necessary,  by 
an  oxidizing  fusion  ;  the  yield  is  about  95  per  cent. ;  during  electro- 
lysis the  bath  may  be  kept  of  proper  composition  by  addition  of 
sodium  and  potassium  chlorides. — (Ztschr.  f  angew.  Chemie^) 
Pharm.  Centralhalle,  1891,  345. 
Anagallis  arvensis,  used  in  Mexico  instead  of  saponaria,  has  been 
found  by  Dr.  Schneegans  to  contain  two  glucosides  identical  with 
those  obtained  from  quillaia  and  senega. 
The  aqueous  decoction  is  precipitated  with  neutral  lead  acetate ; 
the  precipitate,  thoroughly  washed  with  water  containing  lead 
acetate,  is  suspended  in  water  and  decomposed  by  dilute  sulphuric 
