612  Gleanings  from  Foreign  Journal*.  {Amv™T^m&rm' 
of  acid  and  water  each  time.  The  mixed  fluids  are  filtered  and  evap- 
orated to  about  100  grams,  the  requisite  amount  of  sulphydrate  of 
ammonium  is  then  added,  and  the  resulting  sulphide  of  mercury  dried 
at  100°  C.  until  it  ceases  to  lose  weight.  232  parts  of  HgS  correspond 
to  271  HgCl2.  To  be  successful  with  the  operation,  the  flask  should 
be  connected  with  a  condensing  tube  and  the  mixture  well  shaken 
during  ebullition.  The  yellow,  oily  liquid  floating  on  the  solution  of 
chlorides  can  be  solidified  by  treating  with  cold  water,  thus  hastening 
the  operation  somewhat.  To  prevent  errors,  it  is  well  to  examine  the 
acid  solution  for  other  metals  which  yield  precipitates  with  ammonium 
sulphide.  The  solution  should  yield  precipitates  with  the  ordinary 
reagents  for  mercury  (ammonia,  iodide  of  potassium,  stannous  chloride 
and  caustic  potash),  and  should  not  separate  out  calomel  or  metallic 
mercury. — Schweizerische  Wochenschrift,  xxiv,  p.  287. 
Cuprous  chloride. — Cavazzi  prepares  cuprous  chloride  by  dissolv- 
ing four  grams  of  cupric  sulphate  and  two  grains  of  hypophosphite 
of  sodium  in  50  cc.  of  water,  adding  thirty  drops  of  fuming  hydro- 
chloric acid  and  heating  to  60°  or  70°  C,  when  cuprous  chloride  is 
precipitated.  The  precipitate  is  first  washed  with  acidulated  water 
(eight  drops  HC1  to  100  cc),  then  with  absolute  alcohol,  and  is  dried 
in  vacuo  over  sulphuric  acid.  By  this  process  the  hypophosphorous 
acid  is  oxidized  to  phosphoric  acid. — Pharmac.  Zeitsch.  f.  Russland^ 
xxv,  p.  567. 
Expulsion  of  Tape-worm  by  ike  mouth,  a  very  rare  occurrence,  has 
been  observed  by  Dr.  Martel,  surgeon  to  PHotel  Dieu  de  Saint-MaLo. 
— Archives  de  Pharmacie,  Sept.  1886,  p.  430. 
Gelosin  is  a  mucilaginous  substance  extracted  from  Gelidium  cor- 
neum,  Lamouroux,  an  alga  of  Japan,  and  is  found  in  commerce  as 
dry,  whitish  fragments,  extremely  flexible.  Gelosin  forms  an  excel- 
lent vehicle  for  the  administration  of  soluble  medicaments  or  for 
making  suppositories,  cataplasms,  bougies,  etc.  M.  Guerin  has  pre- 
sented to  the  Soci6t6  de  therapeutique,  of  Paris,  some  specimens  of 
gelosin  medicated  with  camphor,  creasote,  sulphate  of  zinc,  turpeth 
mineral,  cocaine,  extract  of  belladonna,  iodoform,  corrosive  sublimate, 
carbolic  acid,  coal  tar,  etc.  To  manipulate  this  substance  all  that  is 
required  is  to  add  an  equal  weight  of  warm  water  to  dissolve  it,  and 
then  to  incorporate  with  it  the  medicament.  Conveniently  sterilized 
gelosin  might  be  advantageously  employed  in  bacteriological  re- 
searches.— Jour,  de  Phar.  et  de  Chimie,  xiv.,  318. 
