^"iia"i879arm*i  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  249 
servation  of  Fowler's  Solution  of  Arsenic— The  well- 
known  decomposition  of  Fowler's  solution,  probably  caused  by  organic 
substances  frequently  present  in  ordinary  distilled  water  or  brought  into 
the  preparation  by  filtration  through  paper,  is  prevented,  according  to  J 
Mueller,  by  the  addition  of  0'4  powdered  borax  to  IOO'O  of  the  solu- 
tion, which  cannot  possibly  interfere  with  its  efficacy. — Pharm.  Ztg., 
Feb.  22,  1879,  P-  1 10- 
Castoreum. — In  the  opinion  of  Hager,  castoreum  should  be  dis- 
carded from  the  Pharmacopoeia,  not  only  because  it  is  an  unpleasant 
medicine  to  those  knowing  its  origin,  but  also  because  it  possesses  no 
greater  medicinal  properties  than  valerian  root. — Pharm.  CentralbL,  Feb. 
13,  1879,  p.  65. 
Gallate  and  Haematoxylate  of  Iron  Inks. — A.  du  Bell  makes  gal- 
late  of  iron  inks,  which  will  keep  well  for  any  length  of  time,  by  tritu- 
rating in  a  porcelain  mortar  15  grams  of  tannic  acid,  7*5  grams  of 
lactic  acid,  60  grams  of  distilled  water  and  15  grams  of  ferrous  lactate 
until  the  combination  is  perfect.  Sufficient  distilled  water  to  make  720 
grams  and  several  drops  of  chlorine  water  are  added,  and  the  mixture  is 
well  shaken  and  digested  in  a  bottle  having  a  capacity  of  2  liters.  After 
24  hours  gum  arabic,  sugar  or  glycerin  may  be  added.  Haematoxylate 
of  iron  ink  is  prepared  by  making  a  solution  of  15  grams  of  purified 
dry  extract  of  logwood,  5  grams  of  oxalic  acid,  15  grams  of  ferrous 
lactate  and  800  grams  of  distilled  water,  and  adding  to  it  5  grams  of 
liquor  ferri  sesquichlorati,  when  a  dark  violet  preparation  results,  which, 
after  gum  and  sugar  or  glycerin  have  been  added,  will  remain  unaltered. 
—Pharm.  Ztg.,  March  12,  1879,  p.  158. 
Zinc  Acetate. — Almost  all  French,  Italian  and  German  works  on 
chemistry  state  that  zinc  acetate  contains  3  molecules  of  water,  two  of 
which  escape  at  a  temperature  of  ioo°,  while  Dibbit  alone  claims  that 
it  contains  but  2  molecules.  N.  Franchimont's  new  investigations  prove 
the  latter  correct,  and  also  that  both  of  these  two  molecules  of  water 
escape  at  ioo°.  If  the  anhydrous  salt  is  heated  in  a  retort  it  melts, 
and  acetic  acid,  carbonic  acid  and  acetone  are  liberated,  while  plates 
resembling  mother  of  pearl  remain,  which  Voelckel  considers  an  acid 
salt,  and  Larocque  sublimed  anhydrous  zinc  acetate.  Franchimont 
agrees  with  the  latter  opinion,  and  states  that  the  sublimed  salt  has  the 
same  melting  point  as  the  dried  (242°C),  contains  357  per  cent.  Zn, 
