Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  ) 
Jan.  1,  1873.  j" 
True  Zero  of  Thermometers. 
17 
to  T-0  per  ct.,  the  alteration  does  not  progress.  Ammonia  does  not 
appear  to  induce  this  decomposition.  Gautier,  however,  infers  from 
his  experiments  with  the  concentrated  acid  that  ammonia  hastens  the 
decomposition. — Chem.  Cent.  Blatt,  1872,  No.  42,  from  Bull.  Soc. 
Chim. 
The  action  of  iodoform  and  phosphorus  produces,  according  to  Gau- 
tier, an  orange-yellow  body,  which  is  insoluble  in  most  solvents,  and 
yields  with  boiling  water  another  lighter  colored  compound  and  the 
products  of  decomposition  of  tri-iodide  of  phosphorus.  The  new  body 
is  probably  the  phosphorus  compound  corresponding  to  cyanic  acid, 
Phosphorus  does  not  re-act  upon  chloroform  at  a  temperature  of 
200°  Q.—Ibid. 
Action  of  Oxygen  upon  Aqueous  Infusions. — Laborde  filled  a  glass 
globe,  the  neck  of  which  was  drawn  out  to  a  fine  point,  with  infusions 
and  decoctions  of  vegetables,  heated  to  boiling,  and  when  the  air  was 
expelled  closed  the  opening  hermetically.  The  liquids  remained  un- 
altered while  portions  of  the  same  liquids  rapidly  spoiled  by  mould 
whon  left  in  contact  with  the  air.  The  generation  of  oxygen  within 
the  globe  by  means  of  electricity,  did  not  cause  any  alteration,  but 
mould  appeared  in  a  few  days  when  contact  with  the  atmosphere  was 
re-established. — Journ.  de  Pharm.  et  de  Chim.,  1872,  Aug.,  118. 
Value  of  Apomorphia  in  Oases  of  Poisoning.— -Dr.  Loeb  relates  a 
case  of  poisoning  of  a  young  man  who  had  swallowed  a  portion 
of  a  solution  of  3  oz.  oil  of  bitter  almonds  in  1J  pint  of  strong 
alcohol.  Half  an  hour  afterwards  the  patient  was  found  with  a  livid 
countenance,  rational,  but  very  weak,  vision  impaired,  pulse  96,  heat 
of  body  not  altered.  A  subcutaneous  injection  of  0*008  grm.  (|-  gr.), 
produced  emesis  in  8  minutes,  which  was  repeated  in  5  minutes. 
The  young  man  felt  better  at  once,  and  was  well  the  next  morning, 
with  pulse  12.—Apoth.  Zeitung,  1872,  NoA5. 
ON   THE   DETERMINATION  OF  THE  TRUE  ZERO  OF  THER- 
MOMETERS. 
By  Cn.  Tellter. 
It  is  generally  admitted  that  the  0°  of  the  Centigrade  and  Reau- 
mur thermometers  varies  after  a  longer  or  shorter  time,  and  the  deli- 
cate and  sensitive  thermometers  therefore  become  altered  as  regards 
2 
