230 
Varieties. 
(Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
t     May  1,1871. 
It  is  obvious  that,  in  dispensing  these  dry  extracts,  double  the  weight  of 
the  prescribed  quantity  must  be  used. 
Cement. — Shellac  heated  with  ten  times  its  quantity  of  solution  of  ammonia, 
forms,  after  some  time,  a  slimy  mixture,  and  dissolves  in  3  or  4  weeks;  this  solution 
is  recommended  for  fastening  caoutchouc  plates  upon  wood  or  metal.  Polytechn.  • 
Centralhl. 
Sugar  in  Urine. — Prof.  Almen,  of  Stockholm,  observed  that  the  urine  of 
patients  who  had  taken  oil  of  turpentine,  contains  sugar,  which  disappears 
after  the  oil  of  turpentine  had  been  discontinued  for  a  day.  After  the  use  of 
turpentine  (12  grm.  daily)  a  mere  trace  of  sugar  was  observed.  No  reaction 
for  sugar  was  obtained  after  the  use  of  copaiva  and  cubebs. — Apoth.  Zeitung. 
1871,  No.  A. 
Erythrocentaurin  *  is,  according  to  Mehu,  contained  also  in  the  herb  of 
Erythraea  chilensis,  Pers. — Journ.  de  Pharm  ,  June.  1870. 
Alcohol  in  acetic  ether  is  detected,  according  to  Frederking.  by  agitating  the 
ether  with  an  equal  volume  of  glycerin,  which  dissolves  the  alcohol  only.  For 
obtaining  absolute  acetic  ether,  the  crude  distillate  containing  water  and  alco- 
hol may  be  treated  with  glycerin  previous  to  rectification. — Pharm.  Zeitsohr. 
f.  Russl. 
Iodine  is  now  obtained  in  considerable  quantities  from  the  nitrate  of  soda  of 
Tarapaca,  t^eru,  which  contains  iodic  acid.  Tlie  mother  liquors  are  treated 
with  sulphurous  acid,  the  precipitated  iodine  collected  upon  a  sand  filter  and 
dried  upon  tiles  of  gypsum.  In  this  condition  it  still  contains  water  and  salts  ; 
it  is  brought  to  the  market  as  crude  and  resublimed  iodine.  The  annual 
production,  it  is  estimated,  will  soon  reach  30,000  lbs. — Dingler's  Polyt.  Journ. 
Application  of  Permanganate  of  Potassa. — The  solution  of  this  salt  is  readily 
decomposed  by  organic  matter  generally  and  particularly  by  vegetable  tissues. 
Some  time  ago  Prof.  Boettger  found  that  this  solution  may  be  filtered  through 
gun  cotton  without  decomposition,  and  recently,  Dec.  3d,  1870,  he  suggested 
the  latter  substance  as  suitable  for  applying  the  permanganate  solution  as  an 
antiseptic  in  dressing  wounds,  ulcers,  etc.  This  mode  of  application  has  proved 
eminently  successful,  the  bad  odor  of  suppurating  wounds  disappearing  almost 
instantly. — Polyt.  Notizhl. 
The  two  chairs  of  chemistry  in  the  Swiss  Polytechnic  Institute,  which  were 
made  vacant  by  the  deaths  of  Professors  Bolley  and  Stadeler,  are  filled  again 
by  the  appointment  of  Prof.  John  Wislicenus,  of  the  University  of  Ziirich,  as 
Professor  of  general  chemistry  and  director  of  the  analytical  laboratory  ;  and 
of  Prof.  Emil  Kopp,  of  the  University  of  Turin,  as  Professor  of  technical  chem- 
istry and  chemical  technology  and  director  of  the  technical  laboratory. 
*  See  this  Journal,  page  207. 
