354  Gleanings  from  German  Journals.    {^Aug.''f,  mr^' 
then  made  :  30  lbs.  bone  black,  15  lbs.  sulphurous  acid,  and  finally  1 
lb.  crystallized  soda.  After  6  or  8  hours  the  clear  liquid  is  drawn  off 
and  evaporated  in  vacuo  to  36°  B.,  when  it  is  filtered  through  close 
muslin.  The  gypsum  remaining  on  the  filter  is  washed  with  water  and 
the  liquid  added  to  the  neutralizing  vat. 
The  filtered  syrup  crystallizes  in  3  to  4  days ;  the  crystallization 
is  hastened  by  adding  some  cane  sugar  after  the  syrup  has  cooled 
down  to  25  or  30°  R.,  and  stirring  occasionally.  On  the  second  day 
it  has  crystallized  sufficiently  to  be  drawn  off  into  boxes,  wherein  it 
will  become  quite  hard  in  a  day. — Fharm.  Post,  1871,  No.  11. 
Timiura  Rhei  Aquosa. — Dr.  Th.  Rieckher  recommends  the  fol- 
lowing process  for  obtaining  a  permanent  aqueous  tincture  of  rhubarb, 
the  processes  of  the  various  pharmacopoeias  used  in  Germany,  yield- 
ing preparations  which  in  a  short  time  separate  deposits  :  2  parts  of 
cut  rhubarb  are  macerated  for  24  hours  with  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
Avater,  then  introduced  into  a  glass  percolator  and  displaced  with 
water  until  48  parts  of  infusion  have  been  obtained.  This  is  evapo- 
rated in  a  porcelain  capsule,  by  means  of  a  steam-bath,  to  13  parts, 
when  1  part  crystallized  carbonate  of  soda  and  two  parts  of  cinnamon 
w^ater  are  added.  After  several  days  the  tincture  is  passed  through 
a  felt  filter,  and  now  has  the  specific  gravity  1-0400. — N.  Jahrb.  f. 
Ph.  1871,  March,  142—146. 
Attar  of  Rose  is,  according  to  Grund,  of  Breslau,  often  adulterated 
with  alcohol,  which  raises  the  congealing  point  of  the  attar.  The 
adulteration  is  detected  by  agitation  with  lukewarm  water  in  the  usual 
manner. — Ibid.,  165. 
Castor  Oil — 0.  Popp  has  observed  that  castor  oil  turns  polarized 
light  to  the  right,  and  diifers  in  this  respect  from  all  other  fats.  He 
also  found  all  the  commercial  castor  oil  to  contain  nitrogen,  and  finds 
in  these  facts  supports  of  his  previously  expressed  opinion,  that  the 
purgative  properties  of  this  oil  are  due  to  a  nitrogenated  body,  prob- 
ably an  alkaloid.— ^rcAzV  d.  Pharm.  1871,  March,  233,  234. 
Urea  a  Constituent  of  Bile. — 0.  Popp  has  found  urea  in  beef  and 
hog  gall,  as  a  normal  constituent.  The  gall  is  diluted  with  water, 
precipitated  by  subacetate  of  lead,  the  filtrate  treated  with  sulphu- 
retted hydrogen,  and  evaporated  to  .dryness.    The  dry  mass  consists 
