140 
GLEANINGS  FROM  FOREIGN  JOURNALS. 
moved,  and  boiled  in  pure  water  as  long  as  the  water  is  clouded, 
after  which  the  stearate  is  treated  with  boiling  acidulated  water, 
which  removes  the  alkaloids. 
The  hot  solution  having  been  carefully  neutralized  by  an  al- 
kali, a  brown  matter  is  separated  by  filtration ;  when  by  cooling 
the  whole  becomes  a  magma  of  crystals  of  sulphate  of  quinia  and 
cinchonia.     These  are  separated  by  the  ordinary  process. 
M.  Clark  asserts  that  the  fatty  soap  contains  all  the  quinia 
and  cinchonia  of  the  bark  treated.  He  recommends  this  process 
also  for  opium. — (Jour,  de  Pharm.,  Dec.  1861.) 
On  the  Rotatory  power  of  the  Volatile  and  Fixed  Oils.  By  II. 
Buignet. — The  author  in  an  elaborate  article  on  the  application  of 
certain  physical  means  to  pharmaceutical  studies,  (Jour,  de 
Phar.,  Oct.  1861,)  has  subjected  various  bodies  to  the  circular 
polarizing  apparatus  to  ascertain  their  relationship  to  the  po- 
larized ray.  After  having  prepared  and  carefully  purified  the 
following  oils,  they  were  examined  : — 
Essential  oil 
of  Orange 
+ 
105-20  Essential  oil  of  Cloves 
0-00 
<  i 
tt 
Cedrat 
+ 
88-88 
4  i 
I  ( 
Cinnamon 
u 
u 
Caraway 
+ 
87-33 
(Chinese) 
0-00 
u 
<< 
Citron 
+ 
87-05 
U 
a 
Sage 
—  8.93 
a 
it 
Chamomile 
+ 
48-80 
(C 
tt 
Thyme 
—  11-23 
u 
t  t 
Nutmegs 
+ 
34-28 
(( 
tt 
Peppermint 
tt 
a 
Penny  Royal 
(French) 
—  14-30 
(European) 
+ 
25-47 
tt 
tt 
Juniper 
—  14-79 
ti 
Petit  Grain 
+ 
20-47 
1 1 
1 1 
Copaiba 
—  17-33 
tt 
tt 
Bergamot 
+ 
18-45 
11 
tt 
Lavender 
a 
it 
Rosemary 
+ 
14-67 
Flowers 
—  21.20 
it 
i  i 
Neroli 
+ 
10-25 
il 
a 
Yellow  San- 
it 
a 
Fennel 
+ 
8-13 
dal  Wood 
—  24-30 
tt 
<  i 
Lavender 
11 
a 
Peppermint 
(Spike) 
+ 
3-30 
(English) 
—  34-29 
tt 
u 
Sassafas 
+ 
2-45 
tt 
it 
Turpentine 
—  43-50 
it 
<  t 
Bitter  Al- 
monds 
0-00 
In  the  table  above,  the  numbers  preceded  by  the  plus  mark  -f 
have  a  right-handed,  or  dextrogyrate,  rotation  ;  those  with  the 
minus  mark,  — ,  have  a  left-handed  or  lsevogyrate  rotation, 
whilst  those  without  either  are  indifferent  to  the  ray. 
M.  Buignet  remarks,  after  examining  these  numbers  ;  that 
nearly  all  of  the  oils  possess  a  rotatory  power  ;  that  the  oils  of 
the  Aurantiacese  are  all  dextrogyrate,  and  mostly  to  a  very  high 
degree ;  that  the  oils  of  the  Labiatese  have  nearly  all  a  left- 
handed  rotation  ;  that  those  of  the  umbelliferae  as  tried,  are  dex- 
