288  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals,  {^'^jun'lam'"'" 
by  hot  acetone,  in  which  the  latter  is  insoluble.  Thus,  the  author 
concludes  that  the  saccharine  matters  of  hesperidin  and  naringin  are 
identical. — J.  de  Ph.  et  de  Chimie,  March  15,  1888. 
A  Complete  Aliment.'' — Adrian  proposes  a  powder  as  follows, 
which  is  intended  to  replace  the  meat-powders  in  common  use  for 
weak  and  convalescent  patients :  Powdered  roast  beef,  200 ;  powdered 
broiled  bread  (previously  saturated  with  meat  juice),  200 ;  powdered 
vegetables,  200;  sugar  of  milk,  150;  tapioca,  150;  dextrin,  50; 
malt,  50;=1000.  One  part  of  the  powder  represents  five  parts  of 
the  substances  when  fresh.  The  preparation  is  made  in  a  granulated 
form  and  is  readily  miscible  with  soups,  etc. — J.  de  Ph.  et  de  Chim., 
April  1,  1888. 
Falsifications  in  Powdered  Saffron. — Rietsch  and  Cornil 
(J,  de  Ph.  et  de  Chim.,  March  15,  1888),  examined  79  samples  of  this 
substance  and  found  that  49  of  them  were  adulterated.  Of  these,  31 
contained  florets  of  carthamus;  4  contained  santalum  rubrum;  1  was 
adulterated  with  curcuma  domestica,  and  1  was  fortified  with  oil ;  5 
contained  red  woods  and  petals  not  determined.  Seven  were  double 
falsifications,  of  which  4  contained  carthamus  with  santalum  or  other 
red  woods  and  a  red  flower  with  an  admixture  of  oil.  E-ed  woods 
and  amylaceous  matters  were  also  found. 
BiNITROCREOSOL  AND  OTHER  COLORANTS  TO   REPLACE  SaFFRON. 
— The  use  of  binitrocreosol  in  alimentary  substances  has  been  pro- 
hibited in  Germany.  Weyl  (An.  di  Ch.  e  di  Farm.)  states  that  this 
product  produces  toxic  symptoms  in  doses  of  25  cgm.  per  kilo  of  the 
person  who  ingests  it.  The  symptoms  are  tetanic  spasm,  pupilar  rigid- 
ity, difficulty  of  respiration  and,  in  animals,  death  in  20  to  30  min- 
utes. As  commercial  binitrocreosol  contains  about  40  per  cent,  of 
ammonia  the  toxic  energy  of  the  pure  substance  is  correspond- 
ingly great.  The  amount  necessary  for  coloring  butter,  margarin, 
conserves  or  liquors  is  very  small ;  but  the  writer  thinks  that  small 
quantities  will  give  rise  to  toxic  conditions  of  a  chronic  nature.  The 
pure  Martins  Yellow"  used  as  a  lime  or  ammonia  salt  is  inoffensive. 
The  "  butter  yellow"  discovered  by  Griess,  may  be  easily  substituted 
for  binitrocreosol  and  does  not  enter  into  the  category  of  poisons. 
Weyl  describes  it  as  "  a  combination  of  the  diazotic  derivative  of  ani- 
line and  of  dimethylaniline." — Repert.  dej^Aar.,  April,  1888. 
