398 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  FRENCH  JOURNALS. 
exhibited  in  a  new  point  of  view,  for  its  dye-yielding  properties. 
The  glumes  which  envelope  the  seed  are  the  part  of  the  plant 
yielding  the  coloring  matter.  They  are  reddish  brown  colored, 
so  deep  as  to  appear  black.  The  color  is  due  to  a  complex 
coloring  matter  condensed  in  this  part  of  the  fruit,  and  which 
also  exists  in  the  fibres  near  the  root  and  in  the  young  buds. 
This  coloring  matter  is  insoluble  in  cold  water  ;  boiling  water 
dissolves  it  with  a  violet  red  color.  Alcohol  extracts  in  the 
cold  a  deep  red  color  ;  ether  assumes  a  lively  red  hue  ;  a  solution 
of  alum  gives  a  lilac  red  color ;  concentrated  sulphuric  acid  dis- 
solves it  with  a  deep  red  hue ;  muriatic  acid  with  an  orange  red, 
and  alkalies  with  a  brown  color. 
The  author  satisfactorily  ascertained  the  existence  of  two 
distinct  coloring  substances,  one  being  yellow  and  the  other  red. 
The  latter  he  calls  purpurholcine,  and  the  former  xantholcine. 
A  detailed  account  of  the  process  of  isolating  these  principles 
will  be  found  in  the  Journal  de  Chimie  3Iedicale,  page  387. 
Digitalis  Seed. — M.  Broussard  has  published  the  following 
note :  Pharmaceutists  in  small  places  have  not  always  time  to 
prepare  digitalin,  or  ascertain  the  purity  of  that  which  they 
sell.  To  be  able  to  have  a  product  always  efficacious  I  col- 
lect the  seed  of  the  digitalis,  which  keeps  well  from  year  to  year. 
One  gramme  (15|  grs.)  of  the  seed  bruised  with  honey  (q.  s.)  gives 
a  pillular  mass,  which,  when  divided  into  30  pills,  gives  a  little 
more  than  a  milligramme  of  digitaline  for  each  pill. 
I  also  prepare  a  tincture  by  the  following  formula,  viz : 
Seed  of  digitalis,  powdered,  40  grammes  (10  drachms.) 
Alcohol,  33°  Baume,      120       "        (4  ounces.) 
Macerate  during  eight  days,  then  digest  for  two  hours,  and 
throw  the  mixture  in  a  displacement  apparatus.  When  the 
tincture  has  passed  gradually,  add  alcohol  to  the  residue  in  the 
displacer  till  120  grammes  (4  ounces)  of  tincture  is  obtained. 
This  tincture  contains  about  a  centigramme  (^th  gr.)  of  digi- 
talin in  each  gramme  (15  minims),  and  can  be  employed  in  mix- 
tures and  for  the  preparation  of  syrup  of  digitalin. — Jour,  de 
Ohim.  Med. 
On  the  regeneration  of  resinified  Essential  Oils.  By  M. 
Ourieux. — The  process  consists  in  purifying  old  essential  oils 
