A^ugusrt,?898ym'}    Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.        41 1 
or  at  105 °,  as  C32H48016.  The  glucosidal  character  of  this  principle 
was  not  confirmed  by  these  authors. 
Feist  obtained  the  insoluble  decomposition  product  of  strophanthi- 
din. This  is  a  crystallizable,  neutral  body,  insoluble  in  water  and 
ether,  and  sparingly  soluble  in  alcohol.  The  M.  P.  is  i69°-i70°; 
it  decomposes  at  1760  with  frothing  ;  it  crystallizes  upon  cooling,  and 
melts  then  first  at  2320.  Strophanthidin  has  the  formula  C26H3807 
-f  1  y2  H20,  and  gives  off  easily  a  molecule  of  water  upon  drying. 
According  to  Feist,  strophanthidin  is  a  benzol  derivative. 
CEARIN,  A  NEW  OINTMENT  BASE. 
Issleib  mentions  a  new  base  (Ber.  d.  Deutsch.  Pharm.  Ges.,  1898, 
p.  127),  which  is  prepared  from  1  part  of  white  Carnauba  wax  and  4 
parts  of  liquid  paraffin.  The  two  are  melted  together  and  stirred 
until  cold.  The  cearin  is  of  a  snow-white  color,  soft  and  of  a  uni- 
form consistency.  According  to  the  author,  it  is  stable,  and  an 
efficient  substitute  for  Ung.  Paraffin.  Ung.  Potassi  Iodidi  may  be 
prepared  with  this  base  without  the  use  of  sodium  hyposulphite. 
Ung.  Hydrargyri  Rub.  and  Ung.  Plumbi  have  been  prepared  with 
this  base,  and  kept  eight  months  without  suffering  any  change. 
Cearin  also  has  the  property  of  taking  up  from  15  to  18  per  cent,  of 
water. 
EXAMINATION  OF  INSECT  POWDER. 
Durrant  [Pharm.  Post,  1898,  16)  proceeds  as  follows:  About  6 
grammes  of  the  insect  powder  are  placed  in  a  glass  cylinder  of  a 
capacity  of  30  c.c,  and  moistened  with  ether  (specific  gravity  0735). 
The  flask  is  closed  with  a  plug  of  absorbent  cotton,  and  the  mixture 
allowed  to  macerate  for  about  thirty  minutes.  The  ether  is  then 
poured  off  and  the  maceration  process  repeated  four  times.  The 
powder  is  finally  washed  with  ether,  so  that  a  volume  of  about  30 
c.c.  is  obtained.  This  ethereal  solution  should  be  of  a  beautiful  yel- 
low color;  if  green,  the  powder  is  likely  to  have  been  adulterated. 
If  there  is  an  absence  of  a  pronounced  green  color,  the  solution  is 
distilled  at  a  temperature  not  higher  than  930,  and  the  residue 
weighed  in  a  tared  dish.  This  residue  should  not  weigh  less  than 
0-243  gramme.  In  the  best  insect  powder,  the  weight  of  the  resi- 
due is  about  0-356  gramme,  and  possesses  the  characteristic  odor  of 
the  flowers. — Pharm.  Zeit.,  1898,  p.  325. 
