352        Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  {Amj^u,ri8Sarm- 
of  such  extracts  even  though  there  were  most  extreme  disadvantages 
against  them.  Another  very  important  advantage  of  these  acetous 
extracts  is  that  their  active  principles  are  evidently  combined  with 
the  acetic  acid  to  form  salts  which  are  no  longer  incompatible  with 
many  of  the  prominent  medicaments  now  found  in  prescriptions. 
This  latter  is  such  an  important  advantage  that  it  outweighs  many 
minor  disadvantages. 
TOXALBUMOSES  IN  CROTON  SEED. 
In  an  extended  study  on  the  toxalbumoses  which  coagulate  blood, 
M.  Elfstrand  gives  a  brief  account  of  previous  investigations  on  cro- 
ton  seed  and  its  poisonous  properties,  and  also  on  abrin  and  ricin. 
The  poisonous  albumen  of  croton  seed  was  extracted  with  water  and 
a  salt  solution,  after  previously  removing  the  fat,  etc.  with  alcohol 
and  ether.  The  greater  portion  of  the  book  is  devoted  to  a  report 
of  experiments  on  the  effect  of  croton  seed  extract  on  the  blood  and 
blood  constituents. — "  Ueber  giftige  Eiweisse  welche  Blut  kbrper- 
chen  verkleben."  Upsala :  Almgvist  &  Wiksells  Boktrycheri- 
aktiebolag,  1897,  pp.  182;  from  Expt.  Sta.  Record. 
DETERMINATION  OF  NITRIC  ACID  IN  DRINKING  WATER. 
Devarda  employs  the  following  method:  Evaporate  one- half  to 
two  liters  of  the  water  to  be  examined  to  about  300  c.c,  add  two 
grammes  of  pulverized  aluminum  bronze  (containing  59  per  cent,  of 
aluminum,  39  per  cent,  of  copper,  and  2  per  cent,  of  zinc),  and  20 
c.c.  of  potash  solution  (containing  30  per  cent.  KOH)  free  from 
nitrate.  Let  stand  one-half  hour  and  distill  off  ammonia  into  acid 
with  gentle  heat. — Zeitschr.  Allg.  Osterr.  Apoth.  Ver.,  1897,  p.  257. 
A  NEW  MILK  PRESERVATIVE. 
The  "  Rhodian  purifier,"  which  it  was  claimed  would  keep  milk 
sweet  for  several  days,  in  the  warmest  weather,  was  found  by  A.  W. 
Stokes  [Analyst,  1897,  p.  320),  to  consist  of  potassium  nitrate  and 
water,  there  being  19  per  cent,  of  the  nitrate.  It  had  no  merits  as 
a  preservative.  Its  presence  in  milk  is  detected  when  the  milk 
solids  are  incinerated  by  deflagration,  and  the  ash  if  taken  up  in 
dilute  sulphate  gives  the  nitrate  reactions.  In  testing  milk  by  the 
Gerber,  Leffman-Beam,  or  Babcock  processes  a  yellow  color  appears 
when  the  milk  containing  this  preservative  is  mixed  with  strong 
sulphuric  acid,  ani  minute  bubbles  of  nitrous  gas  are  given  off. 
