128  Gleanings  from  foreign  Journals.  {^mi^l\v£&m'- 
To  increase  the  tenacity  of  filtering  paper,  Francis  draws  it  through 
nitric  acid,  sp.  gr.  1*42,  and  immediately  washes  with  water.  When 
thus  treated  filtering  paper  shrinks  somewhat  and  weighs  slightly 
less;  it  can  be  washed  and  rubbed  just  like  linen  without  losing  its 
filtering  properties.  A  strip  of  ordinary  filtering  paper  25  millime- 
ters wide  could  not  support  more  than  100  to  150  grams,  whilst  a  strip 
treated  with  nitric  acid  supported  1*5  kilograms. — Pharm.  Zeitung, 
1886,  xxxi,  p.  19. 
Action  oj  sunlight  on  iodoform. — Daccomo  states  that  iodoform  is 
completely  decomposed  by  sunlight  in  the  presence  of  oxygen.  The 
decomposition  does  not  take  place  when  the  iodoform  is  kept  in 
vacuo,  or  in  gases  which  are  indifferent.  The  reaction  is  as  follows : 
2  CHI3+50=3l2+2  C02+H20.— Pharm.  Zeitung,  1886,  xxxi,  p.  19. 
Strychnine  test. — Prof.  Fliickiger  recommends  the  following  test  as 
the  "  classical  test "  for  strychnine:  Dissolve  1  centigram  of  chromate 
of  potassium  in  5  cc.  of  water  and  add  15  grams  (8'15  cc.)  sulphuric 
acid  of  sp.  gr.  1*84  at  15°  C.  Suspected  solids  are  sprinkled  with  it 
on  a  porcelain  plate,  when,  if  strychnine  is  present,  the  characteristic 
blue  coloration  is  produced.  If  the  strychnine  is  in  solution  a  dis- 
tinct blue  zone  is  obtained  by  dropping  the  suspected  solution  into 
the  reagent.  Several  substances  prevent  the  formation  of  the  blue 
color.  A  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  strychnine  and  brucine  only 
shows  the  brucine  (red)  coloration  when  treated  with  the  reagent. 
The  strychnine  test  is  applicable  only  when  there  is  at  least  ten  times 
as  much  strychnine  as  brucine  present. — Pharm.  Zeitung,  1886,  xxxi, 
p.  10. 
The  lowest  temperature. — Olzewski  claims  to  have  obtained  a  tem- 
perature of — 225°  C.  by  evaporating  solid  nitrogen  with  a  pressure  of 
only  4  millimeters  of  mercury. — Pharm.  Post,  1886,  xix,  p.  10. 
Soluble  citrate  of  magnesium  can  be  prepared  by  fusing  100  parts 
of  citric  acid  in  25  parts  of  water  by  means  of  a  water-bath,  and 
adding  64  parts  of  carbonate  of  magnesium.  Unless  properly  dried 
it  loses  its  solubility  in  water. — Schiveiz.  Wochenschrifi9lS86}xxiv,'p.  12. 
Absinthin,  the  bitter  principle  of  wormwood,  has  been  obtained  in 
a  crystalline  form  by  Duquesnel.  The  crystals  form  colorless  prisms, 
have  no  odor  and  are  intensely  bitter.  Absinthin  augments  or. re- 
stores the  appetite  and  is  purgative.  It  is  best  administered  in  glo- 
bules, mornings  and  evenings,  before  meals. — Repertoire  de  Pharmacie, 
1886,  xlii,  p.  15. 
