558  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  {^™;3%T' 
Extemporaneous  Preparation  of  Sodium  Benzoate. — Hager 
mixes  15*0  benzoic  acid  and  10*5  sodium-bicarbonate,  and  gradually 
adds  the  powder  to  70*0  boiling  distilled  water  ;  this  solution  keeps  well 
in  a  stoppered  bottle,  and  is  usually  neutral  ;  if  not,  it  can  be  readily 
rendered  so  by  adding  a  little  acid  or  sodium  carbonate.  After  filtering 
sufficient  water  is  added  to  make  the  filtrate  weigh  ioo*o,  when  5  parts 
solution  contain  1  part  crystallized  sodium-benzoate,  which  may  be 
readily  obtained  in  a  dry  state,  if  desired,  by  evaporating  the  concen- 
trated solution  at  a  moderate  temperature.  Dr.  Lehnebach  considers 
the  salt  a  reliable  specific  for  puerperal  fever  and  diphtheritis,  and  pre- 
scribes a  solution  of  ico  in  150*0  water,  which  is  given  in  tablespoon- 
ful  doses  every  hour. — Pharm.  Centralb.  Aug.  7,  1879,  p.  307. 
Potassium  Salts  and  their  Proper  Doses. — Hager  agrees  with 
Prof.  Th.  Husemann  in  the  opinion  that  the  maximum  daily  dose  of 
potassium  chlorate  for  children  three  years  of  age  is  2*0  grams,  for 
infants  1*25,  and  for  adults  8*0  grams,  and  considers  it  the  duty  of  every 
conscientious  apothecary,  when  dispensing  this  and  other  potassium- 
salts,  to  mention  the  proper  dose  and  to  caution  against  over-doses. 
Potassium  salts  in  moderate  doses  appear  to  be  excellent  antiphlogistic 
medicines,  and  to  be  poisonous  in  large  doses. — Pharm.  Centralh.,  Aug. 
1879,  p.  314. 
The  Solubility  of  Calcium-Oxide  in  Water  and  in  Calcium- 
Chloride  Solutions  was  determined  by  I.  Post,  who  found  it  to 
amount  to — 
At  2o°C.         At  6o°C. 
In  Water,         .....  014  0-12 
Calcium-chloride  solution,  spec.  grav.  1*068  0*17  o  27 
«  "  "  "       «    1-138       —0-04  0-36 
"  "  "         «       »    1-280       —0-23  —0-93 
— Ber.  d.  Deutsch.  Chem.  Ges.,  xii.  1879,  p.  1541. 
Adulteration  of  Saffron. — A  lot  of  saffron,  having  an  unusually 
bright  color  and  strong  odor,  was  examined  by  W.  Brandes,  whofaund 
it  to  contain  50  per  cent,  of  stems,  3  centimeters  in  length  and  about 
1  millimeter  in  thickness,  obtained  from  a  plant  belonging  to  the 
Gramineae  or  Caricineae,  probably  from  Carex  capillaris.  The  stems 
had  been  colored  with  carbonate  of  calcium,  previously  dyed  with 
cochineal,  and  agglutinated  by  means  of  a  sugar  solution,  tinted  with 
saffron.    The  substituted  stems  were  so  heavy  that  their  removal, 
