192 
Reviews,  etc. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
April,  1876. 
then  immersed  in  water  of  o°  C.  (320  F.)  Pure  cacao  butter  commences  to  sepa- 
rate granules  after  three  (Para  c.)  or  five  minutes  (Puerto  Cabello  and  Caraccas  c), 
or  the  solution  began  to  become  turbid  after  eight  (Trinidad,  Guayaquil  and  Suri- 
nam c),  or  fifteen  minutes  (Domingo  c.)  The  solutions  of  Martinique  and  Bahia 
cacao  butter  remained  clear  after  twenty-five  minutes.  If  the  cacao  butter  had  been 
mixed  with  5  per  cent,  of  tallow,  the  etherial  solution  became  turbid  in  one  minute; 
5  per  cent,  of  suet  rendered  it  turbid  in  2^,  10  per  cent,  in  2,  and  20  per  cent,  in 
one  minute ;  with  40  per  cent,  suet,  the  solution  became  turbid  at  once  in  the  cold 
water. 
The  amount  of  starch  was  determined  as  sugar,  and  found  to  vary  between  2*23 
(Para  c.)  and  6-65  per  cent.  (Soconusco  cacao). 
The  author  has  also  examined  the  behavior  of  the  alcoholic  tinctures  of  the  dif- 
ferent varieties  to  various  reagents,  and,  based  upon  his  results,  suggests  a  method 
of  determining  the  commercial  variety  of  cacao  from  its  behavior  to  such  reagent. 
The  amount  of  ashes  obtained  from  the  cotyledons  varied  between  2*08  (St.  Vin- 
cent c.)  and  3-93  per  cent.  (Guayaquil  c).  The  shells  yielded  from  4-67  (Domin- 
ica c.)  to  19.27  (Carracas  c.)  per  cent,  of  ashes. 
To  determine  the  quality  of  chocolate,  the  amount  of  ashes  must  not  much 
exceed  3  per  cent.,  the  fat  (to  be  tested  with  ether,  as  above  stated)  not  less  than  40 
per  cent.,  and  the  starch  not  over  7  per  cent.,  in  all  cases  after  deduction  of  the 
sugar. 
Beitrage  zur  Chemie  der  Eichen-,  Weiden-  und  Ulmenrinde.    Inaugural  Dissertation 
von  Edwin  Johanson.    Dorpat,  1875.    8vo,  pp.  94. 
Contributions  to  the  Chemistry  of  Oak,  Willow  and  Elm  Barks. 
By  his  interesting  experiments,  the  author  has  proven  that  the  tannin  of  oak  and 
willow  bark?  may  be  made  to  yield  a  crystalline  body  which  possesses  all  the  reac- 
tions of  gallic  acid.  Wagner's  distinction,  made  in  1866,  between  a  pathological 
and  physiological  tannin  is  therefore  incorrect.  By  a  similar  treatment  of  the  tan- 
nin from  Ulmus  campestris  no  crystalline  body  could  be  obtained.  In  the  course  of 
his  investigation  the  author  obtained  from  willow  bark  benzohelicin,  which  Piria 
gained  in  1852  from  populin  by  treatment  with  nitric  acid.  This  is  the  first  obser- 
vation of  the  existence  of  this  body  in  a  plant. 
Proceedings  of  the  Seventh  Annual  Meeting  of  the  California  Pharmaceutical  Society  ,• 
also,  of  the  "Third  Annual  Meeting  and  Commencement  Exercises  of  the  California 
College  of  Pharmacy.    San  Francisco,  1875.    8vo,  pp.  76. 
The  pamphlet  before  us  contains,  besides  the  minutes,  officers*  reports,  prospec- 
tus, &c,  two  papers,  read  before  the  Society:  "On  Ethics  of  the  Profession,"  by 
E.  Painter,  and  "  On  Suppositories,"  by  G.  G.  Burnett,  the  latter  advocating  their 
preparation  from  powdered  cacao  butter,  by  hand,  with  the  aid  of  a  spatula.  A 
third  paper,  "  On  Syrup  of  Ferrous  Iodide,"  by  M.  Tschirner,  was  published  in  « 
this  Journal  last  year  (p.  249). 
The  commencement  was  noticed  on  page  572  of  our  last  volume.  In  the  pam- 
phlet we  find  the  valedictory  address  by  Prof.  Searby,  and  abstracts  from  two  theses: 
"  On  Sesame  Oil,"  by  R.  C.  Meyers,  and  "  On  Oxytropis  campestris,"  by  T.  D. 
Graham. 
Wildungen,  its  Baths  and  Mineral  Springs.  By  Dr.  A.  Stoecker.  Translated  from 
the  German  by  Chas.  Harrer,  M.  D.  London:  Triibner  &  Co.;  New  York: 
E.  Steiger.    1875.    Pp.  40. 
The  pamphlet  gives  a  brief  account  of  these  well-known  spring*,  their  medicinal 
properties,  composition,  &c. 
