102     .  Gleanings  from  foreign  Journals.  {Am'Fe°buri£!;arm' 
wax  took  up  60  parts  of  water,  whilst  a  mixture  of  yellow  wax  and 
oleic  acid  in  the  same  proportions  took  up  but  50'5  parts  of  water. 
Lanolin,  as  it  now  appears  in  the  market,  is  a  perfectly  neutral 
base  and  he>nce  is  not  apt  to  decompose  any  medicament  which  might 
be  added.  Lassar  experimented  with  it  on  400  patients,  and  states 
that  lanolin  is  readily  absorbed  by  the  skin,  does  not  produce  any 
irritation  and  permeates  the  lower  layers.  Bachmann  rubbed  a  10 
per  cent,  iodide  of  potassium  ointment,  made  with  lanolin,  into  the 
skin  for  five  minutes ;  after  a  lapse  of  half  or  three-quarters  of  an 
hour,  iodine  was  detected  in  the  urine.  The  elimination  of  the 
iodide  by  the  urine  continued  for  14  days  after  several  applications 
of  the  ointment.  Lanolin  was  used  by  the  ancients,  and  is  mentioned 
by  Ovid,  Herodot,  Plinius  and  Aristophanes.  Under  the  name  of 
oesypum  it  is  mentioned  in  the  Florentine  pharmacopoeia  of  1560. — 
Rundschau,  No.  52,  p.  825. 
Pure  Cochineal  Carmine  is  not  entirely  soluble  in  alcohol  and 
water ;  water  dissolves  it  sparingly,  alcohol  considerably.  Instead  of 
containing  only  traces  of  alumina  and  lime  as  is  usually  supposed, 
Liebermann  states  that  it  contains  as  much  as  8  per  cent. — Rundschau, 
No.  52,  p.  835. 
Hypnone — a  new  hypnotic. — Methyl-phenyl-acetone  (methyl-ben- 
zoyl  or  aoetophenone)  has  been  used  by  Dr.  Dujardin-Beaumetz  as  a 
hypnotic.  He  proposes  to  name  it  hypnone.  Hypnone  belongs  to 
the  aromatic  group,  formula  C6H5COCH3,  and  was  obtained  by 
Friedel  by  distilling  a  mixture  of  benzoate  and  acetate  of  calcium, 
also  by  the  action  of  benzoyl  chloride  on  zinc  methylate.  Hypnone 
is  a  mobile,  colorless  liquid,  very  refractory,  boils  at  198°  C,  volatile 
and  has  a  persistent  odor,  recalling  that  of  bitter  almonds,  or  cherry- 
laurel  water;  it  is  not  inflammable,  but  is  an  active  supporter  of 
combustion;  at  about  4°  or  5°  C.  it  becomes  solid,  forming  large 
crystals.  Its  density  is  greater  than  water,  1  c.c.  weighing  about 
1*6  gm.  Hypnone  is  neutral  to  test-paper,  very  soluble  in  alcohol, 
ether,  chloroform  and  benzin.  It  is  very  soluble  in  the  oils,  par- 
ticularly expressed  oil  of  almonds.  When  dropped  from  a  bottle  the 
drops  are  very  small,  1  c.c.  being  equal  to  39-40  drops.  It  is  not 
affected  by  sulphuric  or  hydrochloric  acid,  nor  by  perchloride  of 
iron;  with  nitric  acid  it  produces  a  yellow  coloration.  Dose,  1  drop. 
— Archives  de  Pharmacie,  i,  p.  1. 
Colorless  Cement — 12'5  parts  of  cut,  un vulcanized  caoutchouc  are 
