Asep°tui,"  m3RM'}  Gleanings  from  the  European  Journals.  395 
Detection  of  Fuchsin  in  Fruit  Essences. — C.  Puscher  recommends 
rto  dip  a  woolen  or  silken  thread  into  the  essence  or  syrup,  the  color- 
ation from  real  fruit  juice  is  afterwards  easily  washed  out  with  water, 
while  fuchsin,  if  present,  dyes  wool  and  silk  of  a  rose  color. — Ibid. 
-No.  28,  from  Ibid. 
Detection  of  a  Falsification  of  Milk  or  Cream  with  Starch. — Hager 
refers  to  his  former  observation,*  that  the  lacto-protein  globules  have 
the  property  of  rapidly  combining  with  iodine,  and  of  decolorizing 
the  solution  of  the  latter.  If  the  milk  has  been  sophisticated  with 
starch,  solution  of  iodine  will  react  upon  the  latter  only  after  the 
milk  has  been  entirely  saturated  with  iodine,  when  the  characteristic 
blue  coloration  will  appear  on  the  further  addition  of  this  reagent. — 
Ibid.  1V0.  29. 
Powdered  Gum  Arabic. — The  well-known  fact,  that  finely-dusted 
gum  arabic  is  not  so  well  adapted  for  oil  emulsions  as  the  sanded 
powder,  is  explained  by  Hager  as  follows  :  To  obtain  a  dusted  pow- 
der it  is  requisite  that  the  gum  should  be  thoroughly  dried  at  an  ele- 
vated temperature,  so  as  to  lose  almost  ten  per  cent,  of  its  natural 
humidity ;  after  such  an  exposure  the  gum  has  been  altered  to  such 
an  extent  that  it  will  now  reduce  alkaline  copper  solution  at  a  mode- 
rate heat,  and  does  not  dissolve  rapidly  enough  in  water.  Gum,  to 
obtain  a  sanded  powder,  should  be  dried  at  about  30°  C.  (86°  F.), 
until  the  pieces  have  lost  2,  or  not  over  2.5  per  cent,  of  moisture. — 
Ibid. 
French  Putty,  discovered  by  Rubau  of  Paris,  is  prepared  as  fol- 
lows :  7  lb  of  linseed  oil  are  boiled  for  about  two  hours  with  4  ft)  of 
brown  umber,  after  which  2  oz.  of  finely  cut  wax  are  added  ;  the 
mixture  is  removed  from  the  fire,  and  5J  ft)  prepared  chalk  and  11  ft) 
of  white  lead  are  well  incorporated  This  putty  is  said  to  be  very 
durable,  and  can  be  used  on  frames  without  oiling  them  previously. — 
Ibid,  from  Polyt.  Notizbl. 
Rapid  Filtration. — A  simple  contrivance,  acting  upon  the  same 
principle  as  Bunsen's  filter,  has  been  proposed  by  E.  Fleischer.  A 
wide-mouthed  bottle  is  closed  with  a  rubber  cork,  twice  perforated; 
into  one  of  the  perforations  the  funnel  is  fitted,  while  a  short  glass 
tube,  bent  at  a  right  angle,  is  inserted  into  the  other,  and  lengthened 
*  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy,  1869,  p.  40fc. 
