450       Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharin. 
September,  1898. 
The  test  for  albumen  consists  in  the  use  of  mercury  succinimide. 
The  suspected  urine  is  acidulated  with  hydrochloric  acid,  and  an 
equal  quantity  of  a  I  per  cent,  solution  of  mercury  succinimide 
added,  when,  at  the  presence  of  albumen,  the  well-known  white 
cloudiness  will  soon  appear.  This  test  is  so  sensitive  that  the  pres- 
ence of  one  part  of  albumen  in  150,000  can  be  detected  by  it. 
For  the  quantitative  test  for  sugar,  the  following  apparatus  is 
constructed :  A  test-tube  [a)  on  a  foot,  holding  50  to  60  c.c,  is 
provided  with  a  rubber  stopper  with  two  perforations ;  through  one 
perforation  a  bent  glass  tube  (b)  is  put,  so  that  its  lower  end  pro- 
jects about  an  inch  from  the  stopper,  thus  reaching  into  the  fluid  to 
be  examined.  Through  the  other  perforation  a  similar  glass  tube 
(c)  is  put,  whose  lower  end  is  even  with  the  stopper.  A  quantity 
of  urine  is  weighed  into  the  apparatus,  a  piece  of  yeast  added  and 
d— -   b  c 
the  stopper  put  on.  The  outlet  at  (d)  is  closed,  and  the  tube  (c)  con- 
nected with  a  calcium-chloride  tube  and  potash  bulbs,  such  as  are 
used  in  combustion  analysis.  The  potash  bulbs  are  weighed  before- 
hand. 
Fermentation  soon  begins,  and  the  carbon  dioxide  generated  by 
it  rises  in  the  tube  and  passes  through  (c)  into  the  calcium  tube 
and  potash  bulbs.  After  the  reaction  ceases  (about  eight  to  ten 
hours),  the  tube  (b)  is  carefully  pulled  up  until  its  lower  end  is  just 
above  the  level  of  the  liquid.  Suction  is  then  applied  to  the  outer 
end  (/)  of  the  potash  bulbs  and  the  cap  at  (d)  removed,  so  that  a 
current  of  air  will  pass  through  the  whole  apparatus.  Whatever 
carbon  dioxide  is  still  lingering  in  the  apparatus  is  thus  drawn  into 
the  potash  bulbs,  where  it  is  dissolved,  while  all  traces  of  moisture 
that  may  be  carried  along  by  the  draft  are  absorbed  in  the  calcium 
tube. 
