380  Gleanings  from  Foreign  Journals.  {Am'luZ'im&rm' 
GLEANINGS  FKOM  FOREIGN  JOURNALS. 
By  George  H.  Ochse,  Ph.G. 
Purification  of  Naphthalin  by  means  of  Soap. — By  repeatedly  sub- 
mitting commercial  naphthalin  to  pressure  in  strong  hydraulic 
presses  and  distilling,  then  treating  with  solution  of  soap  at  a  tem- 
perature of  about  85°  C,  which  dissolves  most  of  the  naphthalin, 
and,  on  adding  water  and  reducing  the  temperature  to  about  50°  C, 
the  naphthalin  precipitates,  the  oily  substances  remain  dissolved  with 
the  soap.  By  washing  and  redistilling,  Link  obtained  almost  chemi- 
cally pure  naphthalin  in  large  snow-white  flakes. — Phar.  Zeit.  fur 
Bussland,  xxv,  p.  279. 
Salol. — Salol  is  a  derivative  of  salicylic  acid,  an  H  atom  being 
replaced  by  phenol.  Salol  is  a  white  powder  having  a  slight  aro- 
matic odor  and,  owing  to  its  insolubility  in  water,  it  is  tasteless. 
Salol  is  devoid  of  the  disagreeable  effects  of  salicylate  of  sodium. 
Prof.  Neucky  has  studied  the  physiological  effects  of  salol  and  states 
that  it  is  merely  resolved  into  its  components  without  undergoing 
any  further  decomposition,  as  both  phenol  and  salicylic  acid  are 
found  in  the  urine.  It  is  given  in  the  same  doses  as  salicylate  of 
sodium,  four  gms.  can  be  given  daily  without  producing  any  visible 
effects.  Although  containing  38  per  cent,  of  carbolic  acid  and  color- 
ing ihe  urine  almost  black,  no  symptoms  of  intoxication  are  produced, 
evidently  owing  to  the  fact  that  it  passes  through  the  stomach  un- 
changed. Prof.  Neucky  has  demonstrated  that  the  decomposition  is 
due  to  the  pancreatic  juices  in  the  duodenum.  Dr.  Saly  finds  salol 
to  be  an  antipyretic  and  antiseptic.  As  an  antiseptic,  it  is  employed 
advantageously  in  putrid  affections  of  the  mucous  membranes. — 
Phar.  Centralhalle,  xxvii,  p.  219. 
Bacteria  in  Sea- Air. — Moureau  and  Miquel  have  made  microscopic 
analyses  of  sea-air  at  various  places,  and  state,  as  the  result  of  their 
observations,  that  when  the  breezes  come  from  the  sea  the  air  is 
almost  free  from  bacteria.  When  100  kilometres  out  at  sea  the 
breezes  coming  from  shore  are  also  almost  free  from  them,  thus  prov- 
ing that  the  sea  is  an  unsurmountable  barrier  to  contagion.  On  ves- 
sels making  long  passages  it  was  noticed  that  although  the  compart- 
ments were  not  entirely  free  from  bacteria,  they  contained  about  100 
times  less  than  in  a  Parisian  home. — Archiv  der  Pharmacie,  1886, 
p.  368. 
