392  GLEANINGS  FROM  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
with  an  alkaline  solution  of  oxide  of  copper,  the  latter  was  re- 
duced at  once,  indicating  the  presence  of  glucose.  The  residue 
of  the  tubers,  after  the  alcoholic  treatment,  when  macerated  in 
cold  water  and  then  boiled,  afforded  a  decoction  charged  with 
starch. 
The  investigation  was  not  pushed  further ;  sufficient  is  shown 
to  prove  that  this  false  jalap  has  a  different  constitution  from 
true  jalap  in  the  absence  of  a  large  proportion  of  resin,  but  that 
it  contains  sufficient  of  the  ingredients  of  jalap  to  indicate  a 
probable  botanical  relationship  with  that  tuber. 
In  regard  to  the  exact  locality  whence  these  tubers  came,  the 
parties  seemed  indisposed  to  speak,  except  that  it  was  in  the 
northern  part  of  Eastern  Mexico ;  nor  did  they  know  anything 
of  the  character  of  the  plant. 
PMIad.,  Aug.  29,  1868. 
GLEANINGS  FROM  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
By  Prof.  John  M.  Maisch. 
Assafoetida. — Ed.  Schser  has  met  with  assafoetida  lumps  of  the 
size  of  a  fist  to  that  of  a  head,  consisting  almost  exclusively 
of  the  same  white  mass  found  in  the  tears  ;  the  softer  crummy 
mass  was  reduced  to  a  very  small  proportion,  and  the  whole  was 
pretty  free  from  earth,  sand  and  fragments  of  plants.  But  on 
close  examination  stones  were  found  to  be  imbedded  in  the  white 
mass,  closely  resembling  the  latter  in  color,  and  evidently  added 
to  the  juice  before  it  was  hard.  The  stones,  some  of  which 
weighed  8  oz.,  one  even  12  oz.,  consisted  mainly  of  carbonate  of 
lime,  containing  some  magnesia,  ferrous  oxide  and  silicic  acid, 
and  resembled  calcareous  spar  or  dolomite  in  structure. — 
(Schweizerische  Wochenschrift  f.  Pharm.  1868,  9,  10.) 
Iodide  of  Nitrogen  is  formed  without  danger  of  explosion  if  the 
ammonia  contains  a  minute  quantity  of  oil  of  cloves,  (one  drop 
to  2  oz.) ;  the  transformation  into  iodide  of  ammonium  takes 
place  almost  instantaneously  at  a  temperature  of  15°  R.  (66°F). 
Glycerin  appears  to  act  in  the  same  way.    (Ibid.,  28.) 
Irish  Moss. — Dr.  F.  A.  Fliickiger  and  L.  Obermaier  found  it 
to  contain  about  1  per  cent,  nitrogen  and  to  yield  15*6  per  cent. 
