28  Gleanings  from  Foreign  Journals,  {Am-&876.rm' 
sisted  of  resin  of  aloes.  The  chloroformic  solution  left,  on  evapora- 
tion, a  residue  which  was  soluble  in  boiling  solution  of  sodium  carbon- 
ate, and  reprecipitated  by  sulphuric  acid  as  dirty  yellowish  flakes,  which 
were  indifferent  to  carbon  bisulphide  (absence  of  gamboge),  but  dis- 
solved in  alcohol,  and  then  yielded  with  ferric  chloride,  chlorine  water 
and  bichromate  of  potassium  the  characteristic  green  coloration  of 
guaiac. 
In  the  residue  A,  the  presence  of  sulphuric  acid  and  soda  was  easily 
proven.  A  portion  of  it  was  dissolved  in  water  and  precipitated  by 
strong  alcohol.  In  a  portion  of  this  the  presence  of  sugar  was  indi- 
cated by  Trommer's  test ;  another  portion  of  the  watery  solution  was 
turned  milky  bv  oxalic  acid  and  gelatinized  by  concentrated  solution  of 
ferric  chloride  ;  presence  of  gum  arabic. 
Summing  up  the  results,  we  find  that  this  humbug  is  composed  of 
the  following  rare  native  herbs  of  the  West,  as  collected  by  such 
Indians  and  associates  as  Dr.  J.  Walker,  viz.,  Cape  aloes,  Glauber's 
salt,  gum  arabic,  gum  guaiac,  acetic  acid,  carbonic  acid,  alcohol  and  oil 
of  anise. 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  FOREIGN  JOURNALS. 
BY  THE  EDITOR. 
Citrate  of  Lithium^  prepared  in  accordance  with  the  British  Pharma- 
copoeia (ioo  parts  of  carbonate  of  lithium  and  180  parts  of  citric  acid), 
has,  according  to  C.  Umney,  a  distinct  alkaline  reaction,  while  that 
made  by  the  United  States  formula  ( I  oo  carbonate  of  lithium  to  200  citric 
acid)  is  strongly  acid,  ioo  parts  of  pure  carbonate  of  lithium  will  be 
required  to  neutralize  189*2  parts  of  citric  acid,  the  product  of  anhy- 
drous lithium  citrate  being  identical  with  the  amount  of  citric  acid 
employed.  If  commercial  carbonate  of  lithium  of  fine  quality  contain 
98  5  per  cent,  of  real  carbonate,  then  the  proportions  would  be  100  parts 
of  carbonate  and  186*5  parts  of  citric  acid.  Lithium  citrate,  prepared 
from  these  proportions  and  rendered  anhydrous,  was  neutral  to  test- 
paper.  A  solution  of  specific  gravity  1*230  when  set  aside  produced 
crystalline  citrate  of  lithium,  which  appears  to  have  the  formula  Li3C6 
Hf)07+4H20  at  1000  C.  (21 2°  F.) ;  this  salt  loses  three  molecules  of 
water,  the  fourth  being  given  off  at  1150  (2390  F.),  leaving  about  73 
per  cent,  of  anhydrous  citrate.  Ten  commercial  samples  were  exa- 
mined ;  they  left,  when  dried  at  ioo°  C,  residues  varying  in  weight 
between  76*5  and  85*2  per  cent.,  and  at  1150  C.  from  72*9  to  83*8 
