304  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  { ^m){™\^*rm' 
used  in  the  place  of  H2SO^,  the  same  color  appears,  but  soon  turns 
yellow.  If  commercial  H2S04  (frequently  containing  HNOs)  is  used 
in  place  of  the  pure  acid,  the  violet  color  appears,  of  course,  without 
adding  the  saltpetre.  The  color  is  very  constant,  but  is  changed  into 
reddish  orange  on  the  addition  of  water,  because  the  yellow  color  of 
the  nitro-derivatives  appears  and  combines  with  the  violet. — Pharm^ 
Ztg.,  March  19,  1879,  p.  173. 
Estimation  of  Free  Acid  in  Aluminium  Sulphate. — The 
presence  of  free  acid  in  aluminium  sulphate — frequently  used  in  the 
arts  in  the  place  of  alum,  because  it  contains  more  aluminium — is  very 
objectionable  for  some  purposes.  It  may  be  determined,  according  to 
Wittstein,  by  treating  the  finely-powdered  salt  with  absolute  alcohol, 
which  dissolves  the  free  acid  only. — Ztscber.  d.  Allg.  Oect.  Apoth.  Ver., 
April,  1879,  p.  152. 
Poisoning  by  Dynamite. — A  case  of  poisoning  of  a  couple,  indi- 
cated by  violent  vomiting,  sudden  burning  pain  in  the  head  and  stomach 
and  bloody  evacuations,  followed  by  the  death  of  the  woman  in  two 
and  a  half  and  of  the  man  in  three  days,  was  due  to  the  presence  of 
30  grams  dynamite  in  the  soup  and  coffee,  which  caused  severe  inflam- 
mation of  the  stomach  and  bowels.  Free  nitric  acid  and  traces  of  arsenic, 
the  latter  as  an  impurity  of  the  acid,  were  found  in  the  bowels. — Apoth. 
Ztg  ,  March  22,  1879,  p.  50. 
Estimation  of  Arsenic  in  Golden  Sulphur  [Sulphur  auratum  anti- 
monii). — Triturate  well  equal  parts  by  weight  of  the  chemical  and  of 
sodium  bicarbonate  (about  1  gram  of  each);  shake  the  mixture  for  a 
few  minutes  with  cold  distilled  water,  filter  and  add  to  the  filtrate  hydro- 
chloric acid  in  slight  excess.  If  arsenic  is  present  there  will  be  yellow 
precipitate. — Pharm.  Ztg.  f.  Russl.,  Feb.  15,  1879,  p.  116,  from  Polyt.- 
Notizbl. 
Phosphorus  pills  for  poisoning  mice  are  made  by  soaking  cheap 
small  peas  in  warm  water  until  they  swell,  when  they  are  stirred  well 
in  a  wooden  vessel  into  a  previously-prepared  soft  confection  of  phos- 
phorus until  a  uniform  mixture  is  obtained;  flour  is  then  added,  stirring 
continually  with  a  wooden  spatula,  or  working  the  mass  up  with  the 
hands  until  every  pill  appears  dry  and  does  no  longer  adhere  to  the 
others.  Several  hundred  pounds  of  reliable  pills,  of  uniform  size,  can 
be  made  thus  in  one  hour  after  a  little  practice. — Pharm.  Ztg.  April  9, 
1879,  p.  220,  from  Pharm.  Wochenbl. 
