536  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  {Ami/ovl*iSlarm* 
Bleaching  of  animal  fats. — 10  grams  powdered  potassium  per- 
manganate are  dissolved  in  one  half  liter  of  water  and  mixed  with 
10  grams  concentrated  sulphuric  acid,  also  diluted  to  half  a 
liter ;  40  kilos  of  fat  are  melted  and  agitated  for  five  minutes  with 
the  above  solution  ;  by  moderate  heat  the  fat  is  kept  liquefied  so  as 
\o  facilitate  separation  from  the  brown  magma  of  hydrated  manga- 
nese dioxide.  Should  the  fat  have  a  yellowish  or  brownish  color 
(due  to  a  little  dissolved  oxide  of  manganese)  the  addition  of  a  few 
drops  of  sulphurous  acid  will  cause  decolorization  owing  to  the 
reduction  of  the  hydrated  manganese  dioxide  and  formation  of 
manganous  sulphate.  The  advantages  claimed  for  this  method  are 
that  neither  the  physical  nor  chemical  properties  of  the  fat  are 
changed  even  if  a  much  larger  quantity  of  the  permanganate  be 
used.  The  method  is  especially  recommended  for  the  bleaching  of 
tallow,  lard  and  margarine. — Dr.  A.  Jolles  and  F.  Wallenstein, 
Ztschr.f.  Nahrungsm.  Unters.  u.  Hyg.,  1 89 1 ,  162. 
Essential  Oils. —  After  the  introduction  of  the  concentrated  essen- 
tial oils  by  Hansel  (Am.  Joum.  Pharm.,  1888,  451),  it  was  hardly 
deemed  possible  to  prepare  oils  of  superior  quality  inasmuch  as 
these  oils  represent  the  natural  oils  freed  from  the  non-odorous  ter- 
penes  ;  H.  Hager  in  Pharm.  Post,  1891,  807,  acknowledges  the 
receipt  of  some  samples  of  volatile  oils  which  proved  upon  compari- 
son to  have  a  finer  flavor  and  to  be  even  better  than  the  oils  from 
the  first  mentioned  source ;  they  are  also  more  soluble  in  dilute 
alcohol.  For  these  oils  the  name  "^Etherische  Grundoele  "  (funda- 
mental essential  oils)  is  used  :  in  Latin,  the  term  Protoleum  or  Pro- 
tolum  is  suggested,  as  for  instance  Protoleum  Carvi.  The  prepara- 
tion of  this  class  of  oils  is  the  secret  of  the  manufacturing  firm  of 
Altmann  &  Vogel,  in  Cotta-Dresden. 
Assay  of  Cinchona. — A  comparative  examination  of  three  methods 
of  assay  gave  the  following  results:  (1)  The  method  of  Haubensak 
(Am.  Joum.  Pharm.,  1 891),  2-975  Per  cent-  ar,d  2995  percent  ;  (2) 
The  method  of  Schmidt  (Pharmacopcea  Neerlandica),  2-2093  per 
cent.;  and  (3)  The  method  of  the  Pharmacopoeia  Germanica  III 
2  035  Per  cent-  and  2-360  per  cent.  The  conclusions  arrived  at  are 
that  Haubensak's  method  is  the  best,  not  only  because  of  the  higher 
figures  obtained,  but  also  because  of  the  purity  of  the  weighed  alka- 
loids, they  being  entirely  soluble  in  acidulated  water. — Wegmiiller, 
Schzvz.  Wochenschr.  der  Pharm.,  1891,  363. 
