596  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  {AmD™*u9i.arm* 
Crystalline  products  of  lemon  and  bergamot  oil. — L.  Crismer 
(Bull.  Soc.  chim.  (3)  6  (1891),  30)  treated  the  residue  from  the  distilla- 
tion of  oil  of  lemon  at  10  mm.  pressure  with  petroleum  ether,  until  a 
precipitate  began  to  form  and  put  the  mixture  aside  in  a  cool  place. 
After  a  few  days  warty  crystals  had  formed  which  were  recrystal- 
lized  from  absolute  ether.  The  crystals  fuse  at  143- 1440  C. 
(289-291 0  F.),  are  colorless  and  odorless.  Concentrated  sulphuric 
acid  colors  it  yellow  ;  on  addition  of  a  drop  of  nitric  acid  a  green 
color,  with  a  trace  of  permanganate  of  potash  a  blue  changing  to  a 
green  is  developed.  The  formula  of  these  crystals  is  C10H10O4  (iso- 
meric with  Hoffmann's  hesperetinic  acid).  The  petroleum  ether  used 
above  leaves  a  butyraceous  mass  on  evaporation  which  on  purifica- 
tion with  alcohol  melts  at  500  C.  (1220  F.).  Oil  of  bergamot  treated 
in  a  like  manner  yields  a  white  substance  fusing  at  1 83— 1 840  C.  (37 1— 
373°  F.). 
Change  in  moulded  nitrate  of  silver  in  contact  with  seeds. — 
A.  Barille  (Rep.  de  Pliarm.  (1891,  47,  403),  has  examined  the  cause  of 
the  change  in  moulded  silver  nitrate  when  kept  with  coriander  or 
linseed  to  prevent  breakage.  The  change  which  takes  place  con- 
sists in  the  corrosion  of  the  sticks  and  the  blackening  of  the  seeds. 
The  cause  seems  to  be  the  presence  of  volatile  and  fatty  oils  or  muci- 
laginous compounds,  these  causing  decomposition  in  the  silver  salt 
especially  in  light.  The  author  recommends  the  use  of  powdered 
pumice  stone  for  preservation. 
Phyllanthin. — M.  Ottow  (Nederl.  Tijds.  voor  Pharm.,  1 891 ,  3, 
128),  isolated  from  Phyllanthus  Niuri,  euphorbiaceae,  indigenous  to 
Java  and  there  used  in  medicine,  a  bitter  principle  phyllanthin, 
C30H37O8.  This  crystallizes  in  colorless  needles  or  flakes,  possesses 
an  intensely  bitter  taste  and  is  almost  insoluble  in  water,  easily 
soluble  in  alcohol,  petroleum  ether,  ether,  chloroform,  benzene  and 
glacial  acetic  acid.  At  200°  C.  (3920  F.)  it  is  volatilized  and  con- 
densed as  an  amorphous  mass  in  the  cooler  portions  of  the  vessel. 
In  a  few  days  the  amorphous  variety  changes  to  the  crystalline  state. 
Explosive  compound  of  barium  and  chromium. — E.  Pechard 
(Compt.  rend.,  1891,  113,  39),  obtained  an  explosive  body  on  mixing 
hydrogen  peroxide  in  excess  with  a  cold,  aqueous  solution  of 
chromic  acid  (8  gm.  to  1  L.)  and  adding  to  this  a  cooled  solution  of 
baryta  until  an  alkaline  reaction  is  obtained.  A  precipitate  is 
formed  which  is  yellowish,  but  gradually  changes  to  brownish.  As 
