612  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.      J  Am.  jour.  Pharm. 
Dec,  1888. 
parts  crystallized  carbolic  acid  and  56  parts  potassium  hydrate,  dis- 
solving in  90  per  cent,  alcohol  evaporating  to  syrupy  consistence  on  a 
water-bath  and  drying  over  HoSO^.  Of  this  100  parts  are  dissolved  in 
alcohol,  the  solution  filtered  and  precipitated  with  an  alcoholic  solution 
of  112  parts  corrosive  sublimate;  the  orange  precipitate  is  well  washed 
with  60  per  cent,  alcohol  until  only  a  faint  turbidity  with  Ag  NO3  results, 
then  it  is  washed  with  .strong  alcohol  until  the  washings  contain  no 
mercury  (indicated  by  HgS).  Dried  over  HoSO^  the  preparation  is  an 
amorphous  brick-red  powder  of  faint  phenol  odor.  It  differs  from 
the  commercial  article  in  giving  the  tests  for  phenol  by  extracting  an 
acidulated  solution  with  ether,  dissolving  the  ethereal  residne  in  water 
and  adding  FegClg  or  bromine-water.  The  formula  is  (CgHgO)2Hg 
containing  51*81  per  cent.  Hg;  found  in  the  above  51*68  per  cent. — 
Hugo  Andres,  Pharm.  Ztschr.  f.  Russl.,  1888,  625. 
The  examination  of  potassium  or  sodium  iodide,  containing  iodate, 
for  nitrate  can  be  made  in  the  usual  way,  by  use  of  Fe  SO^  and  £[380^ 
after  boiling  0'5  gm.  of  the  sample  with  1  gm.  CuSO^,  0*8  gm.  ]N'a2 
SO3  and  10  cc.  water  until  all  of  the  iodine  is  precipitated  as  cuprous 
iodide  and  filtering ;  the  boiling  generally  requires  about  one  minute. 
— C.  Schwartz,  Pharm.  Ztg.,  1888,  612.  ^ 
Lactucarium. — Kremel  has  found  in  various  specimens  an  adultera- 
tion with  bread  crumbs.  Lactucarium  extracted  with  a  mixture  of  3 
parts  alcohol  and  one  part  chloroform  should  yield  from  55  to  60  per 
cent,  extract  (chiefly  lactucou).  The  percentage  ot  moisture  and  ash 
is  also  affected  by  an  addition  of  bread  crumbs.  jSTo.  1 ,  was  a  pure 
specimen  :  2  and  3  were  adulterated,  starch  could  be  detected  in  these 
by  the  microscope  as  well  as  the  iodine  test  in  an  aqueous  decoction. 
Moisture.  Ash  Chloroform- Alcohol  Extract. 
1  5'80  per  cent.         6"50  per  cent.  57*46  per  cent. 
2  5-88      "  4-51  40-00 
3  10-84      "  1.61  11-54 
— Pharm.  Centralhalle,  1888,  512. 
Mercuric  Salicylate. — The  re-actions  of  this  compound,  solubility 
in  solutions  of  NaOH  and  ^'aCl,  are  not  gotten  with  the  product 
obtained  by  the  precipitation  of  HgCla  with  sodium  salicylate ;  the 
formula  for  this  salt  is  (C7H503)2Hg.  The  process,  if  modified,  so  as 
to  precipitate  first  the  mercuric  oxide  from  271  parts,  HgCU  with  Na 
OH,  washing,  transferring  to  a  vessel,  covering  with  water,  adding 
138  parts  salicylic  acid  and  warming  for  a  few  hours  with  frequent 
stirring  until  the  yellow  color  of  the  oxide  is  changed  to  the  white 
