MISCELLANY. 
Some Experiments on Assafatida. By H. Rejnsch. — An ounce of 
finely pulverized assafcetida was mixed with an equal weight of hy- 
drate of lime, and then stirred into a thin paste with a sufficient quantity 
of water. On submitting this to distillation, a colourless oil passed 
over with the water, and at the same time some ammonia was disen- 
gaged. The oil possessed a burning taste, and an odour differing from 
that of assafcetida. The residue in the retort was collected on a filter, 
and washed with hot water until this passed through colourless. A 
portion of the filtered solution was supersaturated with dilute sulphu- 
ric acid, when some brown flakes separated, which united on warm- 
ing to brown drops, while upon the surface of the liquid some oil col- 
lected. On distilling this mixture, some traces of sulphuretted hydro- 
gen, a slightly acid water, and some drops of oil passed over. Neither 
valerianic nor angelicic acid could be detected in it. The residue 
left in the retort was brittle, dissolved readily in ammonia, aether and 
alcohol, from which it separated as a grayish powder. The alcoholic 
solution of the resin has a faintly acid reaction. When heated on 
platinum it melts, and then burns with a bright flame * heated in a 
glass tube, it disengages white vapours, and subsequently drops of a 
green oil • at the same time the odour of horse-radish is perceptible. 
Concentrated sulphuric acid dissolves it with a brown colour, from 
which it is precipitated by water. Precipitated from the lime solution 
by muriatic acid, the resin forms a greenish powder, which does not 
cohere, but in its other properties it agrees with that precipitated with 
sulphuric acid. When the lime residue with which the assafcetida has 
been treated is exhausted with spirit, a yellow tincture is obtained, 
which has the taste of assafcetida, but is not bitter like the above 
resin. If the tincture be mixed with an acid, a resin separates, which 
possesses the peculiar odour of assafcetida. — Chem. Gaz. from Jahrb. 
fur Prakt. Pharm. 
Observations on Glycerine. By F. Rochleder. — The fats are, as is 
well known, decomposed by the action of strong bases or acids into a 
fatty acid and glycerine. The following is a new method of preparing 
