342 
Gleanings  from  Foreign  Journals. 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
{       July,  1886. 
GLEANINGS  FROM  FOREIGN  JOURNALS. 
By  George  H.  Ochse,  Ph.G. 
To  Distinguish  Oleomargarin  from  Butter  J.  Horstler  recommends 
the  following  procedure:  A  piece  of  oleomargarin  the  size  of  a  hazel- 
nut is  placed  in  an  epouvrette  and  the  end  made  air-tight.  Into 
another  epouvrette  a  like  quantity  of  butter  is  treated  in  the  same 
way.  When  both  epouvrettes  are  held  in  the  hand  the  oleomargarin 
soon  liquefies,  forming  a  clear  solution,  whilst  butter  requires  double 
the  time  for  solution,  and  when  dissolved  is  not  so  clear  as  the  oleo- 
margarin solution.  When  the  tube  is  filled  one-third  full  with  ether 
the  oleomargarin  is  easily  dissolved  and  does  not  produce  any  tur- 
bidity or  precipitate  on  the  addition  of  alcohol.  Butter  when  treated 
in  like  manner  yields  a  precipitate. — Pharm.  Rundschau,  xii,  p.  225. 
Tyrotoxicon,  a  ptomaine  extracted  from  poisonous  Cheese. — Yaughan 
has  isolated  a  ptomaine  from  poisonous  cheese  by  treating  the  cheese 
with  water;  the  aqueous  solution  is  acidulated  and  a  slight  excess  of 
caustic  soda  added,  agitated  with  ether  and  the  ethereal  solution 
allowed  to  evaporate  spontaneously;  the  residue  is  again  treated  with 
water  and  shaken  with  ether,  and  the  ethereal  solution  evaporated  in 
presence  of  sulphuric  acid,  when  acicular  crystals  are  formed.  Tyro- 
toxicon, when  placed  on  the  tongue,  produces  an  acrid  and  burning 
sensation,  soon  followed  by  dryness  of  the  throat  and  nausea.  The 
smallest  quantity,  when  absorbed,  produces  diarrhoea.  It  reduces 
iodic  acid,  but  is  not  precipitated  by  the  ordinary  reagents  for  alka- 
loids; water,  alcohol  and  ether  dissolve  it.  When  exposed  to  the  air 
it  loses  its  crystalline  form,  an  acid  product  remaining. — Journal  de 
Pharm.  et  de  Chimie,  1886,  409. 
Selenium  Iodide. — Guyot  prepares  selenium  iodide  by  adding  an 
excess  of  selenium  to  a  solution  of  iodine  in  carbon  bisulphide.  The 
filtered  solution,  when  evaporated  spontaneously,  deposits  beautiful 
gray-black  crystals  having  a  metallic  aspect.  These  crystals  consist  of 
protiodide  of  selenium  (Se  23'83,  I  76'16).  Iodide  of  selenium 
may  also  be  prepared  by  heating  selenium  with  an  excess  of  iodine 
in  a  sealed  tube  by  means  of  a  water-bath.  The  temperature  of  the 
water-bath  is  sufficient  to  keep  it  liquid;  on  cooling  it  solidifies. 
Exposed  to  the  air  the  excess  of  iodine  is  liberated,  leaving  the  sele- 
nium protiodide  as  residue.  If,  however,  the  operation  is  conducted 
in  a  sealed  and  bent  tube,  at  a  higher  temperature,  fine  black,  needle- 
