AmAJS'i879-rm  J    Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  193 
crude  wax,  melts  at  62°C,  and  has  the  composition  C27H560,  while 
the  former  crystallizes  from  a  mixture  of  alcohol  and  ether  in  small 
warty  crystals,  melting  at  73°C,  and  having  the  composition  C15H30O. 
— Ber.  d.  deutsch.  Chem.  Ges.,  1878,  p.  21 12. 
Jelly-like  Silicic  Acid,  an  Inorganic  Membrane  for  Dialysis. 
— If  a  diluted  solution  of  soluble  glass  is  poured  into  hydrochloric  acid 
in  a  certain  proportion,  a  clear  h'quid  is  obtained,  which  gradually 
congeals  into  an  almost  entirely  transparent  jelly  ;  by  treating  this  with 
water  until  the  washings  no  longer  caused  an  opalescence  with  silver 
solution,  F.  Ullik  removed  all  sodium  chloride  and  HC1,  and  silicic 
acid  was  obtained  as  a  transparent  gelatinous  mass,  retaining  the  former 
shape,  drying  in  the  air  to  a  transparent  substance,  decreasing  to  about 
one  fifth  of  the  original  hulk  ;  the  approximate  constitution  of  this  silicic 
acid  is  SiOsH2 ;  if  quickly  heated  to  redness  the  pieces  disintegrate  into 
a  brilliant  sand,  while  if  gradually  and  carefully  heated  they  retain  their 
glass-like  transparent  appearance ;  the  specific  gravity  is  2*322  to 
2  '324.  The  author  prepared  both  thin  and  thick  sheets  of  this  jelly- 
like mass,  which  answered  comparatively  well  as  a  membrane  for 
dialysis. — Ber.  d.  Deutsch.  Chem.  Ges.,  1878,  p.  2124. 
Reaction  between  Chloral  Hydrate  and  Ammonium  Sulpho- 
cyanate. — M.  Nencki  and  H.  SchafTer  heated  chloral  hydrate  in  a  flask 
until  entirely  liquid,  and  added  an  equivalent  quantity  of  dry,  powdered 
ammonium  sulphocyanate  ;  the  liquid  turned  brown  and  possessed  the 
odor  of  chloral  and  of  sulphocyanic  acid  j  after  removing  the  flask 
from  the  sand  bath,  and  allowing  the  reaction  to  be  completed  at  an 
ordinary  room  temperature,  the  cooled  mass  was  mixed  with  much 
water,  when  a  copious  precipitate  fell,  which  was  collected  on  a  filter 
and  dissolved  in  hot  90  per  cent,  alcohol.  The  filtered  solution 
deposited  on  cooling  long,  brilliant  needles,  at  first  yellow,  but  rendered 
snow-white  by  recrystallizing.  The  alcoholic  mother-liquor  still 
contained  considerable  of  this  substance,  mixed  with  a  brown  resinous 
mass.  The  white  needles  dried  over  sulphuric  acid  were  analyzed, 
and  found  to  have  the  composition  C5H5C16N3S  ;  they  are  insoluble  in 
water,  aqueous  mineral  acids  and  alkalies,  scarcely  soluble  in  cold 
alcohol  and  ether,  but  readily  in  hot  alcohol. — Journ.  f.  Pract.  Chem., 
1878,  p.  43. 
Honey  Purified  with  Bolus  alba. — The  following  process  is  said 
*3 
