176 
Chemical  Notes. 
f  Am.  Jour.  Pharrru 
X       April,  1890. 
majus  are  in  the  main  the  same  as  those  obtained  by  E.  Schmidt 
(I.e.). 
Action  of  Acids  on  Litmus. — According  to  J.  E.  Marsh  (Chem. 
News,  lxiv,  p.  2)  water  must  be  present  to  obtain  the  common 
reaction  for  acids.  Dry  blue  litmus  paper  is  not  reddened  in  per- 
fectly dry  hydrochloric  acid  gas,  concentrated  or  fuming  sulphuric 
acid  or  glacial  acetic  acid.  Only  nitric  acid  is  an  exception,  as 
nitration  of  the  organic  material  takes  place  under  liberation  ol 
water,  thus  giving  rise  to  the  color. 
On  Synthetical  Carbolic  Acid. — A.  Schneider  (Pharm.  Centralh.y 
1890,  p.  68)  compared  the  ordinary  and  the  synthetical  carbolic  acid 
in  regard  to  the  action  of  different  substances  probably  causing  the 
red  coloration.  Samples  of  the  two  acids  were  allowed  to  stand  for 
three  months  with  cork,  wood,  zinc,  tin,  iron  and  lead,  the  synthetic 
acid  had  turned  slightly  yellow,  while  the  coal  tar  carbolic  acid  had 
assumed  a  more  reddish-yellow  color.  Samples  of  synthetic  acid, 
which  were  in  contact  with  copper,  assumed  a  bright  red  color  in  a 
few  days,  which  remained  constant  during  the  time  of  the  experi- 
ment. The  acid  from  coal  tar,  similarly  treated,  also  turned  red 
and  soon  became  a  brown-colored  liquid.  In  a  mixture  of  ammonia 
and  alcohol,  the  synthetic  acid  assumes  the  same  blue  color  as  the 
coal  tar  acid,  although  slower. 
On  hchugin. — R.  Bbhm  {Centralb.  f.  d.  med.  Wissensch.,  1889, 
p.  892)  analyzed  the  echugin  poison,  which  is  a  blackish-brown, 
crummy,  odorless  and  intensely  bitter  mass,  obtained  from  Ademum 
Bcelunianum,  Apocynacese,  indigenous  to  the  German  possessions  in 
southwest  Africa.  The  author  isolated  a  crystalline  glucoside 
echugin,  and  a  resinous  body,  echugon.  The  glucoside  crystallizes 
in  small,  colorless,  satiny,  rhombic  plates,  easily  soluble  in  water 
and  alcohol  and  insoluble  in  ether.  It  is  present  to  about  10  per 
cent,  in  the  crude  substance.  Echugin  is  a  cardiac  poison,  death 
taking  place  in  systole. 
Remedies  in  Whooping  -cough.— Dr.  Schilling  ( Therap\  Monatsh.)  has 
used  inhalations  of  chloroform,  2  or  3  drops  for  each  year  of  the  child's  age, 
with  a  tablespoonful  of  water  ;  inhalations  with  phenol  were  less  satisfactory. 
Dr.  Steep  {Deutsche  Mediz.  Wochensch.)  employed  bromoform,  giving  from  5 
to  20  drops  in  24  hours  in  very  frequent  doses.  The  mixture  requires  the 
addition  of  some  alcohol.  Pulse  and  temperature  are  not  affected  by  bromo- 
orm  and  no  ill  effects  are  produced. 
