400  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals,  {'^^'l^l^.'^^^- 
present  especially  in  beverages,  the  ethereal  layer  filtered,  the  solvent 
evaporated  and  the  residue  dissolved  in  20  ce.  water.  If  a  qualita- 
tive test  is  all  that  is  required,  a  drop  of  Fe2  Clg  is  added ;  for  a  quan- 
titave  test,  a  few  drops  of  phenol-phthalein  solution  are  added  and  the 
liquid  titrated  with  io  normal  KOH.— PAarm.  Ztg.,  1888,  317. 
Hyoscyamine  and  Atropine. — A  communication  of  the  "  Chemische 
Fabrik  auf  Actien,'^  (formerly  E.  Schering,)  to  Pharm.  Ztg.,  1888, 
333,  details  results  of  the  change  of  hyoscyamine  into  atropine.  At- 
tention was  first  attracted  by  the  same  lot  of  belladonna  root,  yielding 
varying  mixtures  of  the  two  alkaloids  or  only  atropine.  Later  ex- 
periments proved  that  by  suitable  methods,  either  alkaloid  could  be 
gotten  in  the  pure  state ;  that  belladonna  as  well  as  hyoscyamus  con- 
tains only  hyoscyamine  preformed ;  and  that  atropine  is  merely  a 
molecularly  re-arranged  hyoscyamine.  Atropine  is  formed  by  heating 
hyoscyamine  at  110°  C.  for  some  time  (this  change  was  announced 
by  E.  Schmidt  in  Pharm.  Ztg.,  1887,  542,  almost  a  year  previous  to 
the  above  publication) ;  on  a  large  scale  it  may  be  obtained  by  treat- 
ment of  hyoscyamine  with  alkalies,  and  by  a  number  of  other  methods. 
Thio-resorcin,  a  substitute  for  iodoform,  is  a  sulphur  derivative  of 
resorcin  made  by  the  action  of  S  upon  the  alkaline  salts  of  resorcin. 
A  yellowish  inodorous  powder,  insoluble  in  water,  difiicultly  so  in 
alcohol  but  easily  soluble  in  dilute  alkalis. — Rundschau,  1888,  314. 
Menthiodol,  a  new  remedy  for  neuralgia,  appears  in  the  market  in 
cones  made  by  carefully  melting  4  parts  menthol  and  adding  1  part 
iodol.    Should  the  mass  be  too  brittle,  a  little  camphor  is  advanta- 
,     geously  added. — Rundschau,  1888,  315. 
Carbonated  Milk,  used  in  dyspepsia,  lung  troubles,  etc.,  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  kefir  and  koumys,  is  made  by  charging  in  a  soda  water 
apparatus  fresh  milk  with  2  or  2J  volumes  of  COg.  To  render  it 
more  palatable  1.5 — 1  gm.  NaCl  and  0.5  NaHCOg  are  added  to  each 
quart ;  these  additions  also  prevent  change  for  a  time. — Palm,  in 
Rundschau,  1888,  376. 
Oichory  in  Coffee. — Karz  suggests  the  determination  of  chlorine  as 
the  means  of  establishing  the  purity  of  coffee.  Coffee  contains  0.03 
per  cent.,  cichory  0.28  per  cent,  of  chlorine.  25  gms.  should  be  used 
for  incineration  and  the  ash  examined  volumetrically  with  silver  ni- 
trate.— Rundschau,  1888,  S\)0. 
Chlorinated  Lime  will,  according  to  Pattinson,  loose  its  available 
