Gleanings  from  the  European  Journals. 
Contains  two  molecules  of  water  of 
crystallization. 
With  little  ammonia  no  alteration  ; 
with  much  ammonia,  lemon-yellow 
color. 
With  excess  of  potassa,  lemon-yel- 
low. 
With  excess  of  baryta  water,  yel- 
low precipitate. 
With  lime  water,  yellow  precipi- 
tate. 
With  excess  of  calcium  carbonate, 
yellow. 
Sulphuric  acid  produces  no  visible 
change. 
Chloride  of  calcium  produces  no 
precipitate. 
With  ferric  salts,  no  alteration  in 
the  cold  ;  the  liquid  becomes  darker 
brown  on  heating. 
Nitrate  of  silver  yields  a  white  pre- 
cipitate, which  does  not  decompose 
with  separation  of  silver. 
351 
Contains  two  molecules  of  water  of 
crystallization. 
Little  ammonia  turns  it  yellow,  much 
ammonia  red-brown. 
Excess  of  potassa,  yellow,  red,  then 
brown. 
With  excess  of  baryta  water,  yeK 
low  ;  then  blue  solution  with  green-blue 
flocks. 
With  lime  water,  yellow  ;  then  vio- 
let-green solution  with  similar  flocks. 
With  excess  of  calcium  carbonate, 
bluish  ;  then  indigo-blue  solution : 
finally,  green  blue  precipitate. 
Sulphuric  acid  causes  red  solution  of 
rufigallic  acid. 
With  chloride  of  calcium,  yellow  pre- 
cipitate, with  evolution  of  carbonic 
acid. 
With  ferric  salts  a  blue  solution, 
passing  through  green  into  brown. 
With  nitrate  of  silver  no  precipitate  ; 
the  solution  separates  metallic  silver. 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  EUROPEAN  JOURNALS. 
By  the  Editor. 
Estimation  of  alcohol  in  fusel  oil. — Dr.  G.  L.  Ulex,  of  Hamburg, 
recommends  to  distil  from  100  c.  c.  of  the  suspected  fusel  oil  5  c.  c, 
and  to  agitate  the  distillate  with  an  equal  volume  of  saturated  solu- 
tion of  table  salt.  If,  on  standing,  one-half  or  more  is  separated  as 
an  oily  liquid,  it  is  a  reliable  proof  that  the  fusel  oil  contained  less 
than  15  per  cent,  of  proof  spirit.  If,  however,  a  smaller  quantity  or 
no  fusel  oil  is  separated,  an  addition  of  proof  spirit  has  taken  place. 
A  given  quantity  of  fusel  oil  is  then  agitated  with  an  equal  volume 
of  saturated  solution  of  table  salt,  in  which  propylic  and  butyiic  al- 
cohols are  far  less  soluble  than  in  water.  After  complete  separation 
the  salt  solution  is  distilled,  to  recover  the  alcohol  and  estimate  its 
amount. — Pharmac.  Zeitung,  1873,  No.  48. 
Test  for  free  alkalies  and  for  tannic  acid.  V.  (Iriessuiayer.- — If  a 
