%iy^i8H73RM-r  A  SlOn  t0  Marh  Unusual  Doses,  etc.  489 
Shake  well  together,  then  add 
Mucil.  Acacise,  gss. 
Shake  well  and  make  up  to  2  ozs.  with  water.  I  know  not  whether 
this  may  be  considered  an  infringement  on  Mr.  Copland's  patent,  but 
it  is  a  very  nice  looking  and  palatable  preparation,  and  does  not  sep- 
arate so  speedily  as  the  last. — Pharm.  Journ.  (Canadian)  Sept.,  1873. 
Lindsay,  July  25th. 
ON  A  CURIOUS  REACTION  OF  BENZOIC,  SALICYLIC,  AND  HIP- 
PURIO  ACIDS. 
By  T.  L.  Phipson,  Ph.D.,  F.C.S. 
When  benzoic  acid  and  glucose,  in  the  proportions  of  about  3 
equivs.  of  the  former  to  1  equiv.  of  the  latter,  are  mixed  with  a  large 
excess  of  inonohydrated  sulphuric  acid,  and  the  mixture  is  slightly 
warmed,  a  fine  blood-red  color  is  developed,  very  similar  to  that  pro- 
duced when  salicin  or  willow-bark  are  touched  with  concentrated  sul- 
phuric acid.  After  a  while  the  mixture  becomes  brown,  and  then 
blackens.  Benzoic  acid  alone  does  not  produce  this  reaction.  It 
matters  little  whether  the  glucose  is  artificial  or  natural. 
Salicylic  acid,  with  glucose,  treated  in  the  same  manner,  presents 
the  same  reaction  in  a  still  more  decided  manner. 
Hippuric  acid,  with  glucose  and  sulphuric  acid,  gives  first  a  clear 
brown  mixture,  in  which  also  the  blood-red  color  soon  developes  itself ; 
then  the  whole  mass  becomes  black,  and  evolves  a  large  quantity  of 
an  odorless  and  colorless  gas.  This  gas  is  not  absorbed  by  water  nor 
by  potash,  and  is  inflammable,  burning  with  a  blue  flame  ;  I  conclude 
that  it  is  chiefly  oxide  of  carbon.  As  the  reaction  continues  from 
this  time,  after  the  source  of  heat  is  withdrawn,  the  mixture  soon  be- 
comes very  hot,  and  then  sulphurous  acid  is  given  off  also. — Chem. 
News,  Lond.,  July  11,  1873. 
A  PROPOSITION  FOR  A  SIGN  TO  BE  USED  BY  MEDICAL  MEN 
TO  MARK  UNUSUAL  DOSES  IN  PRESCRIPTIONS.* 
By  R.  Hampson. 
In  proposing  a  sign,  for  the  adoption  of  medical  men,  to  denote 
with  unerring  significance  the  prescribing  of  unusual  doses,  I  feel 
that  I  may  almost  be  open  to  the  charge  of  trespassing  upon  medical 
ground,  and  I  must  admit  that  a  proposal  of  this  kind  would  have 
*  Read  before  the  British  Pharmaceutical  Conference,  Sept.  16th. 
