i36 
V arieties. 
(Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
\       Mar.  1876. 
foregoing  mixture  of  phlorol  and  creosol,  dissolved  in  alcohol  and  mixed  with  a 
slight  excess  of  potash,  was  evaporated  till  it  began  to  crystallize,  and  the  crude 
creosol-potassium  salt  thereby  formed  was  dissolved  in  methyl  alcohol  and  boiled 
with  excess  of  methyl  iodide.  The  product  was  a  dense  oily  body,  distilling  for  the 
most  part  at  2140 — 21 8°. 
Methylcreosol  is  a  transparent,  heavy  liquid,  of  not  unpleasant  odor  when  pure, 
insoluble  in  water  and  dilute  alkalies,  but  easily  soluble  in  alcohol  and  ether. 
Dimethjlprotocatechuic  Acid. — Methylcreosol  was  oxidized  by  heating  it  with  a 
dilute  solution  of  potassium  permanganate.  The  product  was  an  acid,  crystallizing 
in  long  prisms,  dissolving  sparingly  in  water  and  freely  in  alcohol  and  ether,  melting 
at  1 74°,  and  having  the  composition  of  dimethoxybenzoic  acid.  By  gentle  fusion 
with  potassium  hydrate  it  was  converted  into  pyrocatechuic  acid.  This  decompo- 
sition and  its  melting  point  characterize  the  body  as  dimethylprotocatechuic  acid. 
Creosol  is  therefore  a  derivative  of  protocatechuic  acid,  and  must  be  regarded  as 
methylated  methylpyrocitechin  or  homoguaiacol. 
Indifferent  Oils  of  Wood-tar  Creasote. — The  etherial  solution  above  mentioned 
contained  an  oil  boiling  at  2 140 — 2180,  which  was  separated  by  fractional  distilla- 
tion. This  body  yielded  by  oxidation  dimethylpyrocatechuic  acid,  and  therefore 
consisted  of  methylcreosol  or  dimethylhomopyrocatechin.  Other  oils  present  in  the 
etherial  solution  are  being  examined  by  the  authors. — Journ.  Chem.  Soc,  [Lond.], 
Jan.,  1876,  from  Deut.  Chem.  Ges.  Ber.,  viii,  11 36-1 139. 
Reactions  of  Saccharine  Matters.  By  M.  Vidau. — A  mixture  of  equal 
parts  of  commercial  hydrochloric  acid  and  of  a  fatty  oil,  but  especially  of  oil  of 
sesame,  is  a  very  delicate  test  for  sugar,  glucose,  levulose,  honey,  &c.  The  oil  and 
acid  are  shaken  together  for  some  minutes,  and  the  mixture  is  heated  until  the  acid 
liquid  begins  to  boil,  then  the  acid  is  allowed  to  subside  and  its  colo.r  is  observed. 
When  oil  of  sesame  is  used,  the  subsequent  addition  of  one-tenth  of  a  milligram  of 
inverted  sugar  suffices  to  produce  a  characteristic  rose  color.  The  reaction  is  dis- 
tinct with  a  liquid  containing  one  20,000th  of  inverted  sugar,  and  detects  a  milligram 
of  that  substance  when  dissolved  in  a  cubic  centimeter  of  normal  urine. — Ibid.,  from 
J.  Pharm.  Chim.,  [4],  xxii,  33. 
A  New  Preparation  of  Santonin. — Albuminated  sodium  santonate  has 
recently  been  much  recommended  as  an  anthelmintic.  It  is  prepared  by  gently 
heating  in  a  porcelain  dish  a  mixture  of  four  parts  of  sodium  bicarbonate,  one  part 
of  santonin  and  two  parts  of  dried,  soluble  egg  or  blood  albumen  with  a  small 
quantity  of  water,  until  a  solution  is  effected  5  this  is  evaporated  to  dryness  and 
subsequently  redissolved  in  a  sufficient  quantity  of  warm  water  5  the  filtered  solu- 
tion is  evaporated,  at  a  gentle  heat,  to  dryness.  The  remaining  albuminated  sodium 
santonate  forms  colorless,  shining  scales,  readily  soluble  in  water,  rendering  an  alka- 
line solution  which,  upon  addition  of  acids,  separates  santonin  with  the  evolution  of 
carbonic  acid  from  an  excess  of  sodium  carbonate. — Med.  and  Surg.  Reporter,  Feb. 
19,  1876. 
