16  Gleanings  from  Foreign  Journals.  {Am'j&nr'im&Tm 
GLEANINGS  FROM  FOREIGN  JOURNALS. 
By  Geo.  H.  Ochse,  Ph.G. 
New  Method  of  Preparing  Fehling's  Solution.— hi.  Sclimiedeberg 
uses  mannite  in  pkce  of  Rochelle  salt  in  making  Fehling's  solution. 
He  claims  that  the  addition  of  mannite  insures  stability  to  the  solution. 
His  formula  is  as  follows.:  Dissolve  34*632  grams  of  crystallized  cop- 
per sulphate  in  200  c.c.  of  water;  to  this  solution  is  added  a  solution 
of  15  grams  of  very  pure  mannite  in  100  c.c.  of  water  and  480  c.c.  of 
solution  of  caustic  soda  (1*145),  and,  lastly,  sufficient  water  to  make  1 
liter. — Schweiz.  Wochenschrift,  xxiii,  p.  400. 
Hypodermic  Injections  of  Cyanide  of  Mercury  in  Syphilis. — Procho- 
row  uses  a  1  per  cent,  solution  of  cyanide  of  mercury  hypodermically 
in  the  treatment  of  syphilis.  After  giving  about  20  injections  of  25 
or  30  drops  each  the  symptoms  generally  disappear.  He  has  treated 
quite  a  number  of  patients  and  observed  but  two  cases  where  abscesses 
had  formed. — Schweiz.  Wochenschrift,  xxiii,  p.  344. 
Spiritus  Saponatus. — According  to  Petersen,  spiritus  saponatus,  Phar. 
Ger.,  can  readily  be  prepared  by  mixing  the  oil,  caustic  potash  and  a 
fourth  part  of  the  alcohol,  in  a  glass-stoppered  bottle  and  shaking  every 
3  or  4  hours.  In  two  or  three  days  the  oil  is  saponified  and  can  then 
be  diluted  with  the  water  and  remainder  of  the  alcohol.  By  this  method 
no  heat  is  required  nor  is  there  any  loss  in  alcohol. — Schweiz.  Wochen- 
schrift,  xxiii,  p.  362. 
Properties  and  Preparation  of  Peptone. — 5  kilograms  of  finely 
chopped  lean  beef  are  placed  in  a  porcelain  evaporating  dish  with  5 
kilograms  of  water,  150  grams  CP.  concentrated  hydrochloric  acid 
and  20  grams  (Witte's)  pepsin ;  allowed  to  stand  at  ordinary  tempera- 
ture for  one  day,  stirring  frequently ;  it  is  then  heated  in  a  water-bath, 
taking  care  not  to  heat  the  mixture  to  more  than  70°  C.  for  one  day. 
The  excess  of  acid  is  neutralized  by  sodium  carbonate  (requiring  about 
150-160  grams).  The  resulting  turbid  solution  is  brought  up  to  10 
kilograms,  5  kilograms  of  concentrated  alcohol  added  and  then  put 
aside  for  one  day  to  settle.  The  precipitate  is  collected  on  a  strainer,  ex- 
pressed and  the  liquid  filtered.  After  recovering  the  alcohol  the  solution 
is  evaporated  to  extract  consistency,  poured  on  plates  and  dried.  Peptone 
prepared  thus  is  in  brown  pieces,  quite  brittle,  yielding  when  pulver- 
ized a  yellowish-brown  powder,  soluble  in  at  least  2  parts  of  water. 
Yield  is  about  4-6  per  cent,  of  the  meat  used.  Properties:  1.  Peptone 
should  be  soluble  in  two  parts  of  water ;  the  solution  is  not  gelatinous, 
