506 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  FRENCH  JOURNALS. 
matter,  and  had  the  opportunity  to  try  it  in  one  of  our  public 
institutions,  were  prevented  from  doing  so  by  assuming  patriotic 
duties. 
While  I  beg  to  have  the  subject  continued  to  me  for  another 
year;  I  shall  mention  that  the  Prussian  Dispensatory  has  an 
alcoholic  extract  of  Colocynth  made  with  an  alcohol  of  0*895 
sp.  grv  the  effect  of  which  is  described  as :  Yis;  vehementissime 
laxans.  It  acts  sufficiently  in  J  grain  doses,  and  in  J,  1  grain 
doses,  most  powerfully  purging  and  vomiting. 
The  yield  of  this  extract  was  3 J  ounces  from  10  ounces  of 
pulp,  containing  besides  resin  a  good  proportion  of  extractive 
matter. 
From  my  own  personal  experience  in  dispensing  this  alcoholic 
extract,  I  am  enabled  to  say  that  its  effectiveness  is  not  impaired 
by  time  or  age.    Follows  specimen. 
New  York,  August,  1862. 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  FRENCH  JOURNALS. 
By  the  Editor. 
Chemical  Characters  of  Bile — M.  Noel,  of  Rheims,  has  ana. 
lysed  some  bile  furnished  by  a  biliary  fistula,  with  the  following 
results  : 
Water  
98-764 
Cholesterine  ..... 
0-021 
Carbonate  of  soda  .... 
0-110 
Chloride  of  sodium  .... 
0-600 
Chloride  of  ammonium  .... 
0-016 
Sulphate  and  phosphate  of  lime 
0-015 
Phosphate  of  soda,  soda  salts  of  fatty  acids  % 
and  of  cholicand  choleic  acids,  of  Strecker 
>  0.471 
Coloring  matter  .... 
100,000 
Various  reagents  have  been  recommended  for  detecting 
smaller  quantities  of  bile  in  the  liquids  of  the  animal  economy. 
M.  Pettenkoffer  has  advised  the  employment  of  a  mixture  of 
