208       Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.    { A%Jp^p8§|;rm- 
5  c.c.  of  concentrated  hydrochloric  acid,  the  liquid  being  stirred 
until  it  becomes  homogeneous  and  fairly  fluid ;  heat  is  then  applied 
and  the  stirring  continued  until  the  liquid  is  clear  and  limpid  as 
water.  After  cooling  it  is  filtered,  alcohol  added  to  the  filtrate,  the 
precipitate  which  is  formed  washed  with  alcohol  until  free  from 
chlorine,  then  with  ether,  allowed  to  dry  in  the  air,  and  finally  dried 
by  gently  warming,  or,  better,  by  allowing  it  to  remain  over  sul- 
phuric acid.  To  prepare  a  solution  of  starch,  20  grammes  are  dis- 
solved as  described  above,  the  hydrochloric  acid  being  carefully 
measured  so  that  it  may  afterwards  be  exactly  neutralized.  The 
volume  of  the- neutral  filtered  solution  is  made  up  to  a  litre  by 
adding  glycerol.  The  excess  of  water  can  be  evaporated  after  the 
addition  of  the  glycerol,  whereby  the  stability  of  the  solution  is  per- 
haps increased.  Both  these  preparations  give  blue  colorations  with 
iodine.-  -Journal  of  the  Chemical  Society,  London,  February,  1898. 
PERU  BALSAM. 
K.  Dietrich  has  obtained  authentic  samples  of  Peru  balsam  from 
Honduras,  which  represent  the  pure  natural  product  of  the  trees. 
The  author  distinguishes  three  qualities  of  the  product,  represent- 
ing the  first,  second  and  third  flow  respectively,  mixed  with  a  few 
traces  of  bark.  The  three  varieties  differ  from  the  commercial  pro- 
ducts by  being  much  thicker,  also  much  clearer  and  of  darker  color, 
and  having  a  more  intense  balsamic  odor.  Ihe  author  contradicts 
the  usual  supposition  that  the  same  tree  furnishes  balsam  of  the 
same  quality,  since  the  three  samples  examined  showed  different 
ester  numbers.  The  balsams  examined  furnished  77  per  cent,  of 
aromatic  bodies  (cinnamein,  etc.)  and  only  13  percent,  of  resin  ester, 
while  the  commercial  products  never  have  more  than  65  to  75  per 
cent,  aromatic  substances.  The  proportion  of  cinnamein  differs  to 
the  same  extent,  and  the  residue  insoluble  in  ether  was  found  to  be 
41-38  per  cent.,  or  1-5  to  3  per  cent,  more  than  those  of  the  com- 
mercial products.  On  this  basis  a  balsam  having  less  than  65 
per  cent,  of  aromatic  substances  and  more  than  28  per  cent,  of  res- 
inous matter  should  be  considered  as  doubtful  quality. — Berichte  d. 
Pharm.  Ges.,  1897,437,  through  Pharmaceutical  Journal,  February 
26,  1898. 
DAVIESIA  LATIFOLIA. 
In  a  communication  to  the  Pharmaceutical  Journal  in  its  issue 
of  February  26th,  Mr.  J.  Bosisto  directs  attention  to  this  plant  as 
