Am.  Jouk.  Pharm.  ) 
May  1,1871.  j 
Varieties. 
229 
roseate  tinge.  It  is  used  in  small  quantity  as  a  component  of  britan- 
nia  ware.  One  of  its  chemical  preparations  is  extensively  employed 
in  medicine,  and  has  also  been  applied  as  a  cosmetic  under  the  name 
of  'Uili/  white,''  in  consequence  of  the  delicate  white  tint  of  the  pow- 
der. Its  effect,  after  much  use,  is  to  leave  the  skin  of  a  dirty  yellow 
hue,  and  of  leathery  texture.  The  subnitrate  of  bismuth  is  one  of 
the  most  extensively  used  remedies  in  that  disease  so  common  here, 
dyspepsia."  In  the  thermo-electric  batteries,  enabling  the  electro- 
platers  to  dispense  with  the  troublesome  liquid-acid-batteries,  bismuth 
is  the  principal  ingredient.  The  Texas  ores  are  associated  with  the 
other  valuable  metals  cobalt  and  nickel,  which,  from  the  specimens  in 
hand,  would  seem  to  be  in  preponderance. — Jourfial  of  Applied 
Chemistry,  Fehruary,  1871. 
llarictics. 
Test  for  the  inirity  of  Olive  Oil. — Dr.  Ramon  Codina  Langiies,  pharmacist  in 
Barcelona,  uses  the  following  test  for  proving  the  purity  of  olive  oil :  3  parts 
nitric  acid,  spec.  gr.  1*33,  are  diluted  with  1  part  of  water.  1  grra.  of  this  acid 
is  ad'ded  to  3  grm  of  the  oil  ;  on  the  application  of  heat  by  means  of  a  water- 
bath  the  color  of  pure  olive  oil  becomes  somewhat  lighter,  but  acquires  a  red 
tint  in  the  presence  of  benne  oil;  .5  per  cent,  of  the  latter  are  readily  detected. 
The  operation  requires  only  15  to  20  minutes,  and  the  coloration  remains  un- 
changed for  several  days. — Journ.  de  Pharm. 
Dry  Narcotic  Extracts. — Jassoy,  in  Frankfort-on-the-Main,  uses  purified 
dextrin  for  this  purpose.  The  purification  of  commercial  dextrin  is  effected  by 
dissolving  it  in  6  or  8  times  its  quantity  of  water.  After  24  hours  the  solution 
is  filtered  from  the  sediment,  and  the  clear  filtrate  evaporated  to  a  syrupy  con- 
sistence, when  the  pure  dextrin  is  precipitated  by  an  excess  of  alcohol,  and  set 
aside  over  night ;  the  liquid  is  now  decanted  and  the  precipitate  exsiccated 
and  rubbed  to  powder.    The  yield  is  40  to  60  per  cent. 
The  narcotic  extract  is  now  heated,  mixed  with  an  equal  weight  of  purified 
dextrin,  and  the  mixture  then  completely  exsiccated  either  in  the  drying  closet  or 
over  chloride  of  calcium  ;  sufficient  dextrine  is  then  added  to  make  the  weight 
of  the  dry  residue  double  that  of  the  extract,  when  the  whole  is  rubbed  into  a 
uniform  powder.  The  use  of  dextrin  for  this  purpose  was  recommended  as  far 
back  as  1865,  by  Behrens  of  Lausanne. 
Such  powdered  dry  extracts  keep  well  in  corked  vials,  are  readily  and  rap- 
idly soluble  in  water,  and  the  aqueous  solution  is  miscible  with  a  moderate 
quantity  of  alcoholic  liquids. — Archiv  d.  Pharm. 
