446 
CONVERSION  OF  LACTIN  INTO  OXALIC  ACID. 
white  tufts  of  mucor  appeared,  and  gradually  spread  over  the 
whole  surface  ;  the  mycelium,  as  the  growth  proceeded,  pene- 
trating deeper  into  the  fluid,  the  volume  of  which  slowly  dimin- 
ished as  it  became  consumed  by  the  vegetation. 
After  the  lapse  of  some  months,  there  commenced  at  the  sur- 
face of  the  milk,  and  at  the  under  surface  of  the  stratum  of 
floccose  mycelium,  a  zone  or  stratum  of  fluid  of  light-brown 
color,  which  slowly  increased  to  a  deep  coffee-brown.  It  also 
increased  in  amount,  until  the  whole  fluid  was  involved  in  the  •■ 
change.  At  the  time,  I  attributed  this  discoloration  to  some 
putrefactive  decomposition,  and  did  not  examine  it.  The 
glass  and  its  contents  remained  in  the  window  of  the  labora- 
tory, unnoticed,  and  uncared  for,  until  a  few  days  ago,  when 
I  thought  it  time  to  put  it  to  some  more  useful  purpose.  Be- 
fore carrying  this  intention  into  execution,  it  occurred  to  me 
that,  after  keeping  it  nearly  twelve  months,  it  would  be  as  well 
to  examine  the  ultimate  result  of  the  changes  it  had  under- 
gone. 
The  original  quantity  of  milk  was  about  three  ounces  ;  of  this, 
only  two  or  three  drachms  was  left  at  the  bottom  of  the  glass, 
which,  as  before  stated,  was  of  a  dark  coffee-color,  quite  free  from 
smell,  and  neutral.  I  decanted  it  into  another  glass,  and  then 
observed  a  crystalline  sediment.  Some  of  this  I  proceeded  to 
examine  with  the  microscope,  and  found  it  to  consist  of  crystals 
of  oxalate  of  lime  in  large  and  beautiful  octahedra  and  dumb 
bells.  On  examining  a  portion  of  the  mycelium,  I  found  it  full 
of  similar  crystals,  entangled  among  the  filaments  and  appa- 
rently adherent.  The  entire  quantity  I  obtained  may  be  one  or 
two  grains,  but  sufficient  to  supply  many  microscopic  specimens. 
If  any  gentleman  feels  sufficiently  interested  to  desire  to  verify 
my  observations,  a  specimen  will  be  forwarded  on  application 
per  letter  with  stamps  for  postage — London  Pharm.  Journ., 
July,  1862. 
SULPHITES  AND  THEIR  USES. 
It  is  stated  by  the  Florence  correspondent  of  the  "  Medical 
Times  and  Gazette"  (June  14,)  that  a  new  series  of  salts  have 
been  tried  with  success  by  Professor  Polli. 
The  following  is  a  short  description  of  these  new  remedies : 
