Am'Nov.?i?9hiarm'}  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  537 
Secale  cornutum. — By  macerating  300  grm.  powdered  ergot 
deprived  of  oil  with  1,500  grm.  5  per  cent,  sodium  hydrate  solution 
for  48  hours,  straining,  mixing  500  grm.  filtrate  with  1,000  cc.  90  per 
cent,  alcohol,  filtering  off  the  precipitate,  triturating  it  with  300  cc. 
alcohol  acidulated  with  hydrochloric  acid,  filtering,  washing  the 
insoluble  part  with  alcohol  until  the  filtrate  passed  through  color- 
less, and  drying  at  40-500  C,  Dr.  A.  Voswinkel  obtained  15-8  per 
cent,  of  a  brown,  amorphous,  hygroscopic  substance  which  he  proved 
by  hydrolysis  to  yield  mannose  ;  the  body  itself  is  a  hemi-cellulose 
to  which  the  name  "  mannan  "  is  given.  Sclerotic  acid  and  sclero- 
mucin  found  by  Dragendorff  in  ergot  were  prepared  according  to 
Dragendorff  and  proven  to  be  identical  with  •<  mannan  ;"  the  yield 
of  these  substances  was  only  4  8  % ,  and  this  is  explained  by  mannan 
being  less  soluble  in  water  than  in  sodium  hydrate  solution.  The 
physiological  action  of  sclerotic  acid  is  doubted  by  Voswinkel 
because  of  the  fact  that  mannan  is  also  a  constituent  of  salep  and  of 
coffee.  Mention  is  also  made  of  the  extract  of  ergot  as  prepared 
by  the  Pharm.  Germ.  Ill:  Two  parts  of  ergot  are  exhausted  with 
two  portions  of  water,  the  filtrates  are  united,  evaporated  to  one  part, 
and  one  part  dilute  alcohol  added  ;  it  is  claimed  that  the  alcohol 
added  is  insufficient  to  precipitate  all  of  the  mannan,  that  by  the  use 
of  three  parts  of  alcohol  this  can  be  effected  and  that  such  an 
extract  would  give  a  clear  solution  with  65-70  per  cent,  alcohol 
and  also  would  be  more  effective. — Pharm.  Centralhalle,  1891,  531. 
Sodium  bicarbonate. — A  recent  process  of  manufacture  is  as  fol- 
lows :  Heavy  spar  or  barium  sulphate  is  reduced  by  heating  with 
coal  to  barium  sulphide,  this  dissolved  in  water  and  mixed  with 
sodium  sulphate,  whereby  barium  sulphate  is  precipitated  and 
sodium  sulphide  remains  in  solution  ;  by  passing  natural  carbon 
dioxide  through  this  solution  sodium  bicarbonate  is  formed  with 
escape  of  hvdrogen  sulphide,  which  is  then  burnt  with  a  limited 
supply  producing  water  and  sulphur. — Pharm.  Centralhalle,  1 891 , 
536. 
Tooth-zvash. — Thymol,  0-25;  benzoic  acid,  3-00 ;  tincture  of 
eucalyptus,  1500;  alcohol,  100  00;  oil  of  gaultheria,  25  drops; 
dilute  one  teaspoonful  with  half  a  wineglassful  of  water. 
Tooth-powder. — Precipitated  chalk,  120;  cinchona  bark,  60;  pre- 
pared oyster  shells,  60  ;  powdered  myrrh,  35;  and  oil  of  pepper- 
