453 
Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  {Amsept.j 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
By  Frank  X.  Moerk,  Ph.G. 
For  detannating  medicinal  wines,  M.  Rozsnyai  uses  the  following 
method  :  The  wine  is  first  fortified  by  the  addition  of  about  5  per 
cent,  alcohol  so  as  to  increase  the  alcohol  strength  to  18  per  cent; 
the  albuminoids  are  next  precipitated  by  the  addition  of  10  to  15 
grams  tannic  acid  to  the  hectoliter  of  wine,  allowing  to  stand  5  or  6 
days  and  decanting  ;  the  natural  as  well  as  the  excess  of  added  tannin 
is  then  removed  by  the  addition  of  gelatin  in  thin  sheets  (33  grams 
to  the  hectoliter),  which  is  allowed  to  remain  in  the  wine  for  8  to 
14  days.  If  the  gelatin  in  solution  be  added  to  the  wine  a  certain 
amount  of  it  would  remain  dissolved,  but  added  in  sheets  the  latter 
merely  swell  and  do  not  dissolve,  at  the  same  time  effectually  remov- 
ing the  tannin.  The  finished  wine  can  be  used  in  dispensing  alka- 
loidal  and  iron  salts  without  causing  precipitates  or  discolorations. 
Pkarm.  Post,  1 891 ,  429. 
Gelatinizing  of  infusion  of  digitalis. — Continuing  his  research  on 
this  subject  (Am.  Jour.  Pharm.,  1891,  406),  W.  Braeutigam  estab- 
lishes the  following  :  (1)  The  gelatinizing  is  due  to  a  change  of  cane 
sugar;  it  is  accompanied  by  the  formation  of  small  quantities  of 
lactic  acid  and  traces  of  acetic  acid  ;  the  products  of  alteration 
reduce  Fehling's  solution.  (2)  The  different  degrees  of  gelatiniza- 
tion  depend  upon  the  quantity  of  the  sugar  and  the  quality  and  quantity 
of  the  extractive  matter  acting  as  nutriment  ;  the  extractive  matter 
from  roots  and  stems  owing  to  their  proportion  of  sugar  and  salts 
being  more  favorable  to  the  change  than  the  extractive  from  leaves. 
(3)  The  cultures  of  the  Micrococcus  gelatinogenus  (in  the  previous 
article  it  was  stated  to  be  a  bacillus,  but  this  has  been  corrected  and 
the  micro-organism  given  the  above  name)  as  well  as  the  gelatinized 
nourishing  medium  have  been  found  to  exert  no  deleterious  action 
upon  the  human  or  animal  system.  (4)  The  gelatinized  infusion 
still  preserves  its  efficacy. — Pharm.  Centralhalle,  1891,  427. 
Dermatol,  the  new  substitute  for  iodoform  (for  method  of  pre- 
paration see  Am.  Journ.  Pharm.,  1891,  408),  owing  to  its  non- 
poisonous  nature  and  its  capability  of  being  sterilized  is  claimed  to 
be  superior  to  iodoform ;  forming  an  impalpable  powder  it  can  be 
applied  with  an  atomizer.  The  following  formulas  for  its  applica- 
tion have  been  published:  Dermatol-ointment :  Dermatol,  IOO; 
lanolin,  20-o;  vaselin,  70  0.    Dermatol-zinc-vaselin :  Dermatol,  20; 
