374 
Varieties. 
/Am.  Jour.  Phabm* 
1    Aug.  1, 1873. 
It  is,  therefore,  quite  evident  that  the  acid  abstracted  from  the 
essence  by  saponification  is  none  other  than  benzoic  acid.  The  au- 
thor believes  this  to  be  the  first  essence  which  has  yielded  a  like  re- 
sult, that  compound  having  been,  hitherto,  only  met  with  in  balsams. 
The  part  insoluble  in  potash  was  distilled  with  water,  and  then 
separated  from  the  water  which  passed  over  with  it  into  the  receiver. 
After  drying  over  chloride  of  calcium,  this  oil  distilled  at  from  170° 
C.  to  300°  C,  very  nearly  as  the  natural  essence.  With  so  great  a 
range  of  temperature,  it  was  useless  to  expect  to  separate  from  this 
matter  definite  products  with  a  constant  boiling  point ;  M.  Gal,  there- 
fore, attempted  to  ascertain  the  nature  of  these  bodies,  which  might 
be  supposed  to  consist  of  carbides  of  hydrogen  analogous  to  those  so 
often  met  with  in  essences. 
The  product  was  treated  with  anhydrous  phosphoric  acid ;  a  vigor- 
ous reaction  took  place,  and  a  liquid  was  collected  which  no  longer 
possessed  the  odor  of  the  essence.  Iodide  of  phosphorus  also  reacted 
upon  it  with  great  energy,  and  a  liquid  was  distilled  more  dense  than 
water,  and  possessing  a  piquant  odor.  These  reactions  showed  that  it 
was  an  oxygenated  substance — or  rather  a  mixture  of  oxygenated 
substances — resembling  the  alcohols  in  chemical  properties. 
M.  Gal  considers  it  probable  that  the  acid  referred  to  may  be  con- 
sidered as  forming  in  the  essence  benzoic  ethers  with  these  alcohols. 
On  the  one  hand,  the  acid  does  not  exist  in  the  essence  in  a  free  state ; 
and  on  the  other  hand,  he  was  unable  to  obtain  any  alcohol  soluble 
in  water  by  distillation  of  the  essence  in  the  presence  of  potash. — 
Land.  Pharm.  Journ.,  July  12,  from  Comptes  Hendus,June  16,  1873- 
Varieties. 
Domestic  Pepsin. — Messrs.  Editors.— I  see,  in  the  Journal  of  May  22  *  an 
article  on  pepsin,  by  Dr.  Hoskins,  of  Lowell.  I  think  his  remarks  will  do  good. 
I  am  using  what  I  call  domestic  pepsin,  consisting  of  the  inside  of  the  giz- 
zards of  chickens,  turkeys,  ducks  or  geese,  or  the  stomachs  of  calves  or  little 
pigs.  Dry  them  on  a  stove  in  a  plate,  and  then  bruise  them,  and  give  a  third 
of  a  teaspoonful  of  the  powder  in  syrup  a  few  minutes  before  eating.  Some 
country  people  dry  the  gizzard  itself  and  then  grate  it,  and  give  that  powder  in 
the  same  way  for  dyspepsia. 
*See  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,  July,  p.  322. 
