142 
Progress  in  Pharmacy. 
/Am.  .lour.  Pharru. 
I      March,  1903. 
theobromine,  while  the  younger  leaves  contain  from  0  29  to  0  55 
per  cent,  of  the  alkaloid. 
Decker  also  examined  a  number  of  leaves  of  the  Kola  tree ;  he 
found  no  caffeine  in  the  old  leaves,  while  young  leaves  contained  as 
much  as  0  049  per  cent,  of  caffeine  and  o-ioi  per  cent  of  theobro- 
mine. 
Rhein  from  Emodin. — Oesterle  {Schweiz.  Wochens.  f.  Chemie  u. 
Phar.,  1902,  page  600)  publishes  some  further  experiments  he  has 
made  with  di-  and  trioxymethyl-anthraquinone,  emodin  and  chryso- 
phanic  acid,  respectively.  From  the  emodin,  di-oxy-methyl-anthra 
quinone  he  claims  to  have  made  a  crystalline  principle  analogous  to 
Rhein,  tetra-oxy-methyl-anthra-quinone. 
Colombo,  Alkaloids  in. — Dr.  Gadamer  (Apoth.  Zeit.,  1902,  page 
690)  says  that  Colombo  root  contains  at  least  two  alkaloids  somewhat 
resembling,  but  not  identical  with,  berberine.  These  Colombo 
alkaloids  are  yellow  and  are  readily  reduced  to  colorless  hydro 
compounds,  which  are  soluble  in  ether.  Berberine  itself  is  not 
found  in  Colombo. 
These  Colombo  alkaloids  are  said  to  be  quarternary  bases,  while 
the  reduction  compounds,  or  hydro  combinations,  are  tertiary. 
Red  Mercuric  Oxide,  a  new  wet  method  of  preparing. — R.  Dufan 
contributes  the  following:  125  grammes  of  potassium  carbonate  are 
dissolved  in  500  grammes  of  water  and  heated  to  boiling;  100 
grammes  of  mecuric  chloride  are  dissolved  in  1,875  grammes  of 
water.  This  latter  solution  is  gradually  added  to  the  boiling  alkali 
solution  without  discontinuing  the  heat. 
The  resulting  amorphous  powder  is  then  washed,  to  free  it  from 
chlorides,  and  finally  dried.  The  process  gives  an  orange-yellow 
crystalline  powder  that  is  said  to  combine  the  good  properties  of 
both  red  and  yellow  oxides,  without  any  of  their  disadvantages 
[Suddeut.  Apoth.  Zeit.,  1902,  page  836,  from  Rep.  d.  Phar.) 
Antiseptic  Hemostatic. — The  German  pharmaceutical  journals 
publish  the  description  of  a  patent  granted  to  R.  Rhode,  Breslau, 
for  a  preparation  having  the  following  composition:  50  grammes 
of  powdered  alum,  10  grammes  of  borax.  10  grammes  of  glycerin, 
5  grammes  of  zinc  oxide  and  10  grammes  of  formaldehyde  solution 
are  melted  together  and  poured  into  suitable  molds.  The  combi- 
nation, it  is  asserted,  gives  an  efficient  hemostatic  that  is  at  the 
same  time  antiseptic  and  promotes  healing. 
