GLEANINGS  FROM  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
329 
deoxidizing  influence  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  and  he  has 
succeeded  in  obtaining  it  from  malic  and  from  tartaric  acid 
C8H6012  by  heating  a  saturated  solution  of  either  of  these  acids 
in  hydriodic  acid,  enclosed  in  a  sealed  tube,  to  120  or  130°  C. 
for  six  to  eight  hours.  Escholtzia  Californica,  Papaver  somni- 
ferum  and  Teucrium  scorodonia,  treated  by  Zwenger's  process, 
yielded  likewise  succinic  acid.— (N.  Jahrb.  d.  Ph.  xv.  22 — 28.) 
Pate  lodifere,  a  French  nostrum,  sold  for  killing  the  nerves  of 
decayed  teeth,  at  5-50  francs  per  flask,  was  found  by  Leimbach, 
of  Karlsruhe,  to  consist  only  of  arsenious  acid  and  hydrochlorate 
of  morphia,  colored  by  a  little  Prussian  blue.  The  proportions 
are  one  part  arsenious  acid  and  three  parts  of  the  morphia 
salt,  rendered  pasty  apparently  by  glycerin — (N.  Jahrb.  d. 
Ph.  xv.  272.) 
Oil  of  Valerian. — Mayer  of  Heilbronu  has  made  some  experi- 
ments with  dry  valerian  root.  He  found  the  root  collected  in 
spring  to  yield  more  acid  and  less  oil  than  the  fall  root ;  calcu- 
lated for  10  lbs.  of  the  root  he  obtained  in  1858,  4-3  drachms 
valerianic  acid  and  eight  dr.  oil  ;  in  1859,  6  dr.  acid  and  5J  dr. 
oil.  The  oil  cost  him  per  oz.  $1.25  and  $1.60  respectively. 
Even  if  the  acid  was  assumed  at  the  same  price  as  the  oil,  the 
ounce  was  respectively  $0.96  and  $1.07,  while  the  oil  is  quoted 
by  the  best  druggists  at  60  cents  per  oz.  He  intimates  that 
oleum  templinum  and  ol.  terebinthinge  are  much  cheaper  than 
ol.  Valerianae.— (N.  Jahrb.  d.  Ph.  xvi.  21 — 22.) 
Glycerin. — Mayer  found  in  commercial  glycerin  of  spec, 
grav.  1-21  chloride  of  calcium,  which  he  removed  by  digesting 
with  oxide  of  silver,  precipitating  the  dissolved  silver  by  sul- 
phuretted hydrogen,  and  the  lime  by  oxalic  acid.  A  volatile 
acid  was  expelled,  for  the  greater  part,  by  heating  to  between 
257  and  279°  F.  for  several  hours  ;  its  spec.  grav.  was  then 
1-27  ,  and  the  yields  from  6^  lbs.  after  filtering  through  char- 
coal, amounted  to  5  lbs  (N.  Jahrb.  d.  Ph.  xvi.  23.) 
Extraztum  Belladonnce. — Mayer  prepared  extracts  from  two 
lots  of  well-dried  belladonna  root  by  exhausting  with  a  mixture 
of  3  p.  alcohol  and  2  p.  water  ;  he  obtained  27  and  26-28  prct. 
v 
