Am'/a°u!yi£oarm'}      Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  17 
mends  that  after  the  saponification  of  the  fat  a  definite  portion  of  the 
soap  be  removed,  dissolved  in  alcohol  and  titrated  with  an  acid ;  from 
this  determination  the  calculation  is  made  as  to  the  quantity  of  hydro- 
chloric acid  needed  to  neutralize  the  excess  of  alkali,  and  after  the 
addition  of  this  quantity  of  acid  the  soap  is  evaporated  to  the  proper 
consistence.  For  the  detection  of  free  alkali  in  soap  it  is  proposed 
to  take  powdered  soap  and  cover  it  with  a  solution  of  mercuric  chlo- 
ride, free  alkali  being  indicated  by  the  appearance  of  a  red  coloration. 
Neutral  soaps  in  contact  with  mercuric  chloride  did  not  change  in 
color  after  three  months  time,  while  such  soaps  as  indicated  a  slight 
alkaline  reaction  gradually  blackened  ;  of  importance  is  the  fact  that 
only  such  medicinal  soaps  (containing  2  per  cent.  HgCl2)  as  do  not 
give  color  with  mercuric  chloride  are  of  antiseptic  value.  A  criterion 
of  good  sublimate  soap,  hence,  is  its  color ;  a  discolored  soap  being 
worthless  and  therefore  to  be  rejected. — Pharm.  Ztg.,  1889,  671. 
Pill  Masses. — Creasote  pills  have  been  recommended  to  be  prepared 
by  the  use  of  wax  or  magnesia,  but  such  pills  placed  in  warm  water 
for  24  hours  remain  intact  and  do  not  evince  any  signs  of  disintegra- 
tion, showing  the  undesirability  of  these  excipients.  E.  Dietrich  gives 
a  formula  for  a  creasote  pill  mass,  containing  25  per  cent,  creasote, 
which  is  plastic  and  will  remain  so  for  long  periods  if  the  quantity  of 
glycerin  given  be  doubled  and  the  mass  kept  in  well  closed  vessels. 
Creasote  10  parts  are  mixed  with  glycerin  2  parts  and  triturated 
with  powdered  extract  of  licorice  10  parts,  finally  incorporating  pow- 
dered glycyrrhiza  18  parts.  Pills  made  from  this  mass  are  easily  dis- 
integrated by  the  action  of  warm  water ;  in  dispensing  the  pills  finely 
powdered  coffee  is  advocated  as  a  dusting  powder. 
For  a  Copaivapill  mass  (25  per  cent.)  the  following  gives  excellent 
results  :  Copaiva  10  parts,  glycerin  2  parts,  mix  and  incorporate  in 
the  order  named  powdered  sugar  10,  magnesia  10,  powdered  glycyr- 
rhiza 8.  Turpentine  pill  mass  can  be  made  in  the  same  manner. — 
Pharm.  Centralhalle,  1889,  676. 
Ointment  of  Iodide  of  Potassium. — In  place  of  some  of  the  more  re- 
cent additions  to  this  ointment,  made  in  order  to  prevent  decomposi- 
tion, E.  Dieterich  proposes  again  an  older  suggestion,  namely  the  ad- 
dition of  medicinal  soap.  The  formula  requires  10  parts  potassium 
iodide  and  one  part  powdered  soap  to  be  dissolved  in  9  parts  of  dis- 
tilled water  and  this  solution  incorporated  with  80  parts  of  a  firm 
paraffin  ointment. — Pharm.  Centralhalle,  1889,  677. 
