AMoitur^73RM'}  On  the  Presence  of  Cyanogen  in  Bromine.  463- 
Take  of— 
Resin  of  Copaiba,        .        ...        15  grains. 
Compound  Powder  of  Almonds,       .       .30  " 
Water  to  1  ounce. 
Rub  the  resin  with  the  powder  until  well  incorporated,  then  add  the 
water  after  the  manner  of  forming  an  emulsion. 
This  forms  a  cream-colored  emulsion  of  a  satisfactory  character, 
having  but  a  faint  odor  of  copaiba.  This  may  be  removed  by  the 
the  addition  of  compound  tincture  of  lavender,  which  at  the  same 
time  imparts  an  agreeable  pink  tinge. 
The  emulsifying  power  of  the  powder  of  almonds  is  undoubtedly 
due  principally  to  the  fixed  oil  it  contains,  which  acts  as  a  solvent  of 
the  resin  ;  the  action  is  also  assisted  by  the  gum  and  sugar.  For 
the  use  of  hospital  dispensers  and  others  who  may  have  frequent 
occasion  to  dispense  it,  it  may  be  kept  in  a  concentrated  form,  1  =  4„ 
— Pharm.  Journ.  and  Trans.,  July  26,  1873. 
ON  THE  PRESENCE  OF  CYANOGEN  IN  BROMINE. 
By  T.  L.  Phipson,  Ph.D.,  F.C  S.,  &c. 
I  have  lately  discovered  in  bromine  issued  as  pure  for  pharmaceu- 
tical use,  a  notable  amount  of  cyanogen.  It  has  been  known  for 
many  years  (and  I  have  myself  alluded  to  it  in  another  place)  that 
during  the  manufacture  of  iodine  a  certain  quantity  of  that  most 
beautiful,  but  dangerous,  compound,  iodide  of  cyanogen,  sometimes 
finds  its  way  into  one  of  the  glass  condensers;  and  it  would  appear, 
from  the  experiments  to  which  I  now  allude,  that  a  similar  compound 
with  bromine  may  occur  in  this  liquid  element — a  more  serious  case 
than  the  other,  since  it  is  dissolved  and  masked  in  the  liquid. 
The  presence  of  cyanogen  in  bromine  may  be  detected  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner; — Take  an  equal  weight  of  iron-filings  (say  J  oz.)  to 
that  of  the  bromine,  and  add  to  the  iron-filings  four  or  five  times 
their  weight  of  water  ;  mix  in  the  bromine  very  gradually,  and  stir 
all  the  time,  filter  rapidly  while  warm  from  the  reaction,  place  the 
filtered  liquid  in  a  partially  closed  bottle,  and  in  the  course  of  some 
hours  a  deposit  of  ferricyanide  of  iron  (Berlin  blue)  will  have  formed, 
and  may  be  collected  on  a  filter.  In  the  course  of  two  days  (with 
the  above  quantity)  the  whole  of  the  cyanogen  is  thus  eliminated. 
In  the  samples  of  bromine  hitherto  examined,  I  estimate  there  has 
