Am'oc",ri8?oarm"}  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  491 
dried  residue  is  heated  in  a  porcelain  crucible,  when  if  albumenoids 
were  present  the  odor  of  trimethylamine  is  developed.  The  copper 
sulphate  is  added  to  oxidize  sugar,  which  is  generally  present  and 
prevent  the  formation  of  empyreumatic  vapors,  which  might  inter- 
fere with  the  recognition  of  thetrimethylamine  odor.  This  test  will 
serve  to  distinguish  flour  and  starch. — Dr.  M.  Dahmen,  Pharm. 
Ztg.,  1890,  555. 
The  color  reaction  of  peppermint  oil  with  acetic,  sulphuric  and 
hydrochloric  acids  (formation  of  a  blue  color  with  red  fluorescence) 
has  been  investigated  by  Dr.  E.  Polenske.  If  3  cc.  hydrochloric 
acid  sp.  gr.  1-124  De  agitated  with  twenty  drops  of  the  oil  and 
slightly  warmed,  a  violet  color  will  finally  result ;  if  twice  the  vol- 
ume of  ether  be  then  added,  the  color  will  be  imparted  to  the  acid, 
which  separated  and  diluted  with  an  equal  volume  of  water,  will 
give  a  precipitate  of  blue  color,  while  a  red  coloring  principle  will 
remain  in  solution ;  the  red  filtrate  shows  no  fluorescence,  while  the 
acetic  acid  or  alcoholic  solution  of  the  thoroughly  washed  blue 
precipitate  possesses  a  red  fluorescence.  A  better  yield  of  the  blue 
color  was  obtained  by  adding  4  drops  concentrated  sulphuric  acid 
to  20  cc.  oil,  agitating,  warming  to  400  C,  allowing  to  stand  several 
hours  with  occasional  agitation,  adding  80  cc.  ether,  shaking  with 
two  portions  of  hydrochloric  acid  of  two  cc.  each,  separating  the 
acid  and  proceeding  as  above.  Addition  of  ammonia  to  solutions 
of  the  colors  causes  decolorization,  from  such  solutions  ether  will 
extract  a  brownish  substance  (free  from  nitrogen),  which,  with  acids, 
will  produce  again  the  original  colors.  The  ethereal  residue 
exposed  to  sun-light  for  a  short  time  is  bleached,  and  then  no 
longer  gives  the  colorations  on  addition  of  acids.  Peppermint  oil 
exposed  for  3  to  4  hours  to  sun-light  does  not  lose  the  property  of 
coloring  with  the  acids,  but  after  twenty-five  days'  exposure  it 
will  no  longer  respond.  The  substance  producing  the  colorations 
is  volatile  in  a  current  of  steam,  and  is,  therefore,  present  in  recti- 
fied oils. — Pharm.  Ztg.y  1890,  547. 
Solanacece  Alkaloids. — To  ascertain  the  nature  of  the  pre-exist- 
ing alkaloids  in  this  natural  order,  Prof.  E.  Schmidt  had  Mr.  Schiitte 
carry  out  a  number  of  investigations,  the  results  of  which  are  here 
given  :  young  and  old  belladonna  roots  (one  to  two  and  eight  or 
more  years  old,  respectively)  were  collected  at  different  periods  of 
the  year  ;  upon  examination  they  yielded  the  following  average 
