342  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  {AmjJuij"!i89oarm' 
less  success  ;  the  latest  suggestion  in  this  line  is  to  place  the  mercury 
and  lard  in  a  mortar  and  to  add,  from  time  to  time,  a  small  quantity 
of  the  suet  and  triturating  until  the  fats  make  a  homogeneous  mass 
before  adding  more.  By  this  simple  procedure  a  smooth  ointment 
is  obtainable  with  a  decided  saving  of  time. — L.  M  ,  Pharm.  Ztg., 
1890,  354. 
Mineral  constituents  of  ground  spices  and  condiments. — The  Bava- 
rian Representatives  of  Applied  Chemistry,  at  their  ninth  annual 
meeting,  held  in  Erlangen,  in  last  May,  adopted  the  following  figures 
as  jnaximum  ash  percentages  and  ash  insoluble  in  HC1 ;  both  of  the 
figures  have  reference  to  the  air-dried  article  :  Black  pepper,  6-5  per 
cent,  and  2  per  cent. ;  white  pepper,  3  5  per  cent,  and  I  per  cent. ; 
cinnamon,  5  per  cent,  and  1  per  cent.;  cloves,  7  per  cent,  and  1  per 
cent.;  allspice,  6  per  cent,  and  0-5  percent. ;  mace,  2-5  per  cent,  and 
0-5  per  cent.;  nutmeg,  5  per  cent,  and  0-5  per  cent.;  saffron,  8  per 
cent,  and  0-5  per  cent. ;  ginger,  8  per  cent,  and  3  per  cent.;  car- 
away, 8  5  per  cent,  and  2  per  cent.  ;  fennel,  10  per  cent,  and  2  per 
cent.  ;  anise,  10  per  cent,  and  2  per  cent.  ;  marjoram,  10  per  cent, 
and  2  per  cent.;  paprica,  5  per  cent,  and  2  percent.;  cardamom,  10 
per  cent,  and  2  per  cent. —  Chemiker  Ztg.,  1890,  687. 
Tannin  reaction. — If  a  tannin  solution  be  boiled  for  some  time 
with  phenylhydrazin  and  then  solution  of  sodium  hydrate  carefully 
added,  there  will  be  obtained  a  beautiful  green-blue  solution  chang- 
ing to  yellow  ;  as  neither  gallic  nor  pyrogallic  acid  give  the  same 
test,  the  reaction  is  characteristic  for  tannin,  and  will  serve  to  detect 
traces  of  it.  The  tannin  derivative  giving  this  reaction  with  sodium 
hydrate  was  isolated  and  gave  the  hydrazin  reaction  with  concen- 
trated sulphuric  acid  and  ferric  chloride.  The  same  body  could  be 
obtained  from  sumach  extract,  but  not  from  oak-bark  extract  nor 
oak-bark  infusion. — C.  Bbttinger  (Liebig* s  Ann.  Chem^)  Chem.  Rpt., 
1890,  152. 
Lysol  is  the  name  given  to  a  new  disinfectant,  introduced  by  Dr. 
Gerlach,  of  Wiesbaden,  made  by  boiling  for  several  hours  in  a  flask 
with  invert  condenser,  proper  quantities  of  an  alkali  and  any  fat,  fat 
acid,  resin  or  resin  acid  with  tar  oils ;  after  cooling,  a  mass  results 
which  is  soluble  in  water  in  all  proportions.  To  the  aqueous  solu- 
tion may  be  added  desirable  quantities  of  the  higher  phenols.  This 
preparation  is  claimed  to  be  superior  to  carbolic  acid,  creolin  and 
sulphocarbolic  acid  in  killing  bacteria,  and  is  only  slightly  poison- 
