AmAug.j89iarm"}  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  405 
and  dissolving  in  ether  or  chloroform,  finally,  by  crystallization  from 
alcohol.  Amarylline  is  the  name  proposed  for  the  alkaloid  from  A. 
formosissima  and  bellamarine  for  that  from  A.  Belladonna.  Amaryl- 
line forms  clusters  of  short  needles,  is  slightly  soluble  in  water, 
easily  so  in  ether,  chloroform  and  alcohol;  melts  at  1960  C,  appa- 
rently with  slight  decomposition ;  with  the  exception  of  platinic 
chloride,  potassium  bichromate  and  tannin,  it  yields  precipitates  with 
the  alkaloidal  reagents  ;  with  sulphuric  acid  it  gives  a  red-brown 
color,  which  becomes  green  on  addition  of  a  few  drops  of  water ; 
mixed  with  sugar  and  then  H2S04  it  gives  a  green,  changing  to  yel- 
low, color ;  with  Froehde's  reagent  a  brown-green,  changing  to 
dark  green. 
Bellamarine  forms  colorless  needles,  soluble  in  alcohol,  ether  and 
chloroform;  it  melts  at  18 1°  C.  with  darkening;  it  precipitates  with 
all  of  the  alkaloidal  reagents ;  its  most  characteristic  color  reaction 
is  with  sulphuric  acid,  gray;  upon  warming  a  pretty  red. — Dr.  B. 
Fragner,  Pharm.  Post,  1 891,  421. 
Linimenta  exsiccantia  or  drying  liniments  are  intended  as  an 
improvement  on  the  gelatin  treatment  in  dermal  practice.  'I  he 
base  is  made  by  either  triturating  in  a  mortar  or  heating  in  a  suit- 
able vessel  5  parts  tragacanth,  2  parts  glycerin  and  1 00  parts  water  ; 
made  by  the  aid  of  heat  the  preparation  keeps  without  the  addition 
of  antiseptics ;  the  advantages  of  this  base  are  that  it  can  be  applied 
in  very  thin  layers,  and  can  be  removed  by  simply  washing  with 
water.  To  medicate  the  base,  soluble  substances  are  dissolved  in 
the  water  used  to  make  the  base;  insoluble  substances,  oils,  iodo- 
form, zinc  oxide,  etc.,  are  triturated  in  a  mortar  with  the  previously- 
made  base. — Prof.  Ph.  J.  Pick  (Prag.  Med.  Wochenschr.)  Pharm. 
Post,  1891,  425. 
Coffee  adulteration. — A  coffee  was  recently  offered  for  sale  in 
Amsterdam  which,  by  its  dark  color,  excited  the  suspicions  of  the 
purchaser.  A  microscopic  examination  revealed  the  structure  of 
the  true  bean,  but  also  the  absence  of  fat  globules  ;  the  ethereal 
extract  left  only  about  1  per  cent,  residue,  whereas,  good  coffee  gen- 
erally yields  from  13-14  per  cent.;  it  is,  therefore,  evident  that 
this  sample  had  been  exhausted  for  the  purpose  of  making  coffee 
extract,  and  then  roasted  a  second  time  after  addition  of  a  little 
sugar,  this  explaining  the  dark  color  and  polish  of  the  sample. — 
(Int.  Rev.  f.  Verfdlsch.)  Ztschr.f.  Nahrungsm.  Unters.  u.  Hyg.t  1 89 1 , 82. 
