300  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  {Amju0nUe!'iP85oarm" 
talc,  q.  s.;  permanganate  of  potassium  finely  pulverized,  I  gm.  The 
silicate  was  well  mixed  with  the  water  and  q.  s.  of  talc  was  added  to 
make  a  soft  paste.  In  a  few  moments  the  mass  became  of  proper 
consistence  for  division.  The  author  gave  the  preference  to  the 
former  preparation,  as  the  silicate  pills  were  not  so  readily  soluble, 
and  showed  slight  cracks  on  their  surfaces.  [In  England  Mr.  Mar- 
tindale,  in  1884,  introduced  kaolin  combined  with  soft  paraffin  as  a 
suitable  excipient ;  the  same  has  been  used  in  this  country,  also 
fuller's-earth,  pipeclay,  resin  cerate,  simple  cerate  and  others. — 
Trans.~\ 
Simple  Apparatus  for  Making  Sulphuretted  Hydrogen. — Re- 
move the  cork  and  piston  of  a  glass  syringe,  fill  it  to  within  a  third 
of  the  large  opening  with  morsels  of  sulphide  of  iron  of  about  the 
size  of  a  pea,  and  fit  to  the  same  orifice,  a  rubber  tube  connecting 
with  a  glass  syphon.  To  the  small  opening  of  the  syringe  attach  a 
piece  of  rubber  tubing  connecting  with  a  glass  tube  furnished  with  a 
stop-cock.  The  latter  being  opened,  the  syringe  is  placed  in  a 
conical  glass  vessel  containing  a  sufficient  quantity  of  hydrochloric 
acid  to  cover  the  iron  salt.  The  gas  commences  at  once  to  form. 
To  stop  the  disengagement  of  gas  close  the  stop-cock  The  syringe 
is  then  placed  in  a  jar  of  pure  water,  and,  the  cock  being  again 
opened,  the  apparatus  becomes  filled  with  water  and  chloride  of 
iron  is  dissolved.—  Bull,  de  la  Soc.  de  Phar.,  Brussels,  Feb.  15. 
Artificial  Malachite. — M.  Fouque  lately  exhibited  at  the 
Academie  des  Sciences  a  specimen  of  M.  de  Schulten's  product, 
obtained  by  heating  for  eight  days  in  a  water-bath,  a  solution  of 
carbonate  of  copper  precipitated  by  one  of  carbonate  of  ammonia. 
As  the  ammonia  volatilizes  the  carbonate  of  copper  is  deposited  in 
a  green  crystalline  mass  on  the  sides  of  the  vessel.  This  becomes 
slowly  covered  with  small,  green  crystals  of  malachite  which  have 
the  same  chemical  composition  as  the  natural  mineral. — Repert.  de 
Phar.,  March  10. 
Antifebrin  is  liable  to  produce  unpleasant  symptoms  of  cerebral  excitement 
and  even  hallucinations  in  aged  and  weak  persons.  For  this  reason  Dr.  Stein 
advises  {Prag.  Medic.  Wochens.,  Jan.,  1890)  to  give  antifebrin  to  such  patients 
in  doses  beginning  with  0*05  to  o'io  gm. 
Ammonium  picrate  is  of  no  value  as  a  substitute  for  quinine,  according  to 
Dr.  H.  M.  Clark  {The  Lancet,  Feb.  15,  1890),  because  it  does  not  lower  the 
temperature.  It  may  be  given  in  ague  on  the  febrile  days,  the  dose  being  six 
grains  in  24  hours,  which  may  be  taken  without  producing  unpleasant  symp- 
toms. 
