130  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  \^mil^k^\mm' 
Compressed  drugs. — A  Dresden  firm  has  recently  introduced  a 
line  of  these  drugs  in  which  small  quantities  of  the  drugs  sufficient 
to  make  a  cupful  of  the  infusion  are  wrapped  up  separately  in  tin-foil 
and  these  are  put  up  in  larger  packages. — Pharm.  Centralhalle, 
1890,  32. 
Chemically  pure  sulphate  of  quinine  may  be  distinguished  from 
the  commercial  sulphate  and  the  sulphates  of  cinchonine,  cinchoni- 
dine  and  quinidine  by  a  solubility  test  in  a  mixture  of  chloroform 
and  petroleum  ether.  0  2  gram  are  briskly  agitated  with  a  mixture 
of  30  parts  by  volume  of  petroleum  ether  (sp.  gr.  0  680)  and  70 
parts  chloroform,  filtering  and  adding  3  to  4  volumes  of  petro- 
leum ether  ;  in  the  absence  of  the  other  sulphates  the  solution  will 
remain  clear.  An  admixture  of  only  o-i  per  cent,  other  sulphate  will 
give  rise  to  a  precipitate  or  turbidity.  —  E.  Hirschsohn,  Pharm.  Ztschr. 
f.  Russl.,  1890,  1.  ■ 
Exalgin  may  be  distinguished  by  the  following  simple  test  from 
acetanilid  and  phenacetin :  1  gram  is  dissolved  in  2  cc.  chloroform 
(acetanilid  requires  6  cc.  and  phenacetin  20  cc.  chloroform)  and  20 
cc.  petroleum  ether  (sp.gr.  0  650)  added;  the  solution  should  remain 
clear.  10  per  cent,  phenacetin  and  20  per  cent  acetanilid  can  be 
detected  by  the  formation  of  a  precipitate  after  standing  a  short 
time. — E.  Hirschsohn,  Pharm.  Ztschr.  f.  Russl. ,  1890,  17. 
A  test  for  hydrogen  dioxide. — The  solution  to  be  tested  is  made 
alkaline  and  then  a  soluble  neutral  salt  of  lead  or  copper  added;  a. 
deep  brown  red  precipitate,  rapidly  changing  to  red  and  finally  to 
white,  indicates  hydrogen  peroxide ;  in  concentrated  solutions 
effervescence  is  also  to  be  observed.  Ozone  solution  (Lender's) 
does  not  give  this  test. — A.  O.  Gawalowski,  Rundschau,  1890,  79. 
Sulphurous  acid  as  a  product  of  the  alcoholic  fermentation  was 
discovered  in  beer,  and  quite  recently  by  Dr.  B.  Haas,  in  wines. 
It  is  not  a  constant  product  but  is  formed  by  the  reduction  of  sul- 
phates, present  in  the  wort  or  must  if  the  fermentation  proceeds  very 
slowly ;  if  the  fermentation  is  a  quick  one,  no  sulphurous  acid  is 
produced.  The  S02  can  be  estimated  by  distilling  the  liquors  in  a 
current  of  C02,  collecting  the  distillate  in  a  solution  of  iodine  and 
precipitating  the  sulphate  formed  with  barium  chloride. — Ztschr.  f 
Nahrungsm.  Unters.,  1889,  241. 
Eulyptol  is  a  mixture  containing  salicylic  acid  6  parts,  carbolic 
acid  1  part  and  eucalyptus  oil   1  part.    The   name    should  not 
