558  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  {^^so^'SSt™' 
is  obtained,  which  remains  transparent  and  will  not  ferment. — F. 
Schaaf,  Apoth.  Ztg.,  1888,  680. 
Chloroform — Tests  of  purity  for. — The  use  of  chloroform  as  an 
anaesthetic  calls  for  a  preparation  which  shall  stand  the  following  tests  : 
1.  Three  hnndred  gm.  are  distilled  on  a  water-bath  until  about*  2 
cc.  remain  in  the  flask  or  retort ;  on  addition  of  concentrated  H^SO^  to 
this  residue  no  darkening  should  take  place,  nor  should  an  odor  of 
amylic  compounds  be  developed. 
2.  Fortv  gm.,  shaken  repeatedly  with  30  gm.  concentrated  H^SO^ 
in  a  glass-stoppered  bottle,  preyiouslv  rinsed  with  HjSO^  should  not 
darken  within  48  hours. 
3.  The  chloroform  decanted  from  the  above  test,  after  the  addition 
of  a  zinc  iodide  starch  solution,  should  not  blue  this,  and  should  not 
itself  become  red. 
4.  The  chloroform  from  2  shaken  with  distilled  water,  and  the  lat- 
ter filtered  into  solution  of  silver  nitrate,  should  cause  no  change. — 
Schwarz  and  Will,  Fhann.  Ztg.,  1888,  551. 
CIdoroform,  flavored  with  oil  of  cloves,  is  recommended  bv  Prof 
Nussbaum  in  cases  in  which  pure  chloroform  produces  nausea  and 
vomiting. — Rdsch.,  1888,  759. 
Rose  woler,  made  with  magnesium  carbonate  and  used  in  eye- 
waters containing  salts  of  lead  or  zinc,  will  produce  precipitates 
which  may  be  very  irritating. — KoUiimyer,  Pharm.  Post,  1888,  598. 
Examination  of  Strychnos  Extracts. — The  extracts,  if  fluid,  evap- 
orated under  an  air-pump  to  thick  consistence  in  order  to  remove  alco- 
hol, are  triturated  with  water,  and  after  the  complete  removal  of  the 
fat  by  agitating  with  petroleum  spirit,  the  mixture  is  evaporated  to 
dryness,  mixed  with  lime,  and  extracted  for  1^  hours  with  ether  in  a 
continuous  displacement  apparatus.  The  ether  is  removed  by  evapora- 
tion, the  residue  dissolved  in  a  little  alcohol,  10  cc.  water  added,  and 
this  solution  titrated  with  n.  sulj)huric  acid.  The  extraction  is 
repeated  with  a  second  portion  of  ether  for  one  hour,  the  acid  required 
in  this  neutralization  being  added  to  the  first  quantity.  Every  cc. 
H2SO4  used  is  considered  the  equivalent  of  0*00364  alkaloid  (the 
brucine  and  strychnine  being  assumed  present  in  equal  ratio \  In  the 
aqueous  extracts,  the  brucine  is  present  in  three  times  the  amount  of 
the  strychnine,  due  to  the  greater  solubility  of  the  former  in  water. 
In  the  following  table  attention  has  been  given  to  points  of  interest  in 
the  processes  for  making  the  extracts  : 
