GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  FRENCH  JOURNALS.  399 
by  submitting  them  to  the  action  of  a  solution  of  borax  with 
animal  black.  The  solution  of  borax  is  mixed  with  the  animal 
charcoal  to  form  a  thin  magma ;  the  oil  is  then  added  and  agi- 
tated for  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  At  the  end  of  this  time  the 
magma  is  found  adhering  to  the  sides  of  the  bottle,  whilst  the 
essential  oil  flow3  limpid.  The  change  consists  in  a  sort  of 
union  of  the  resinous  matter  of  the  oil  with  the  borax.  The 
author  has  thus  obtained  the  oil  of  lavender,  peppermint  and 
neroli  completely  restored  in  odor. — Journ.  de  Qhimie  Med. 
On  Napellina.  By  F.  Hubschmann. — According  to  F. 
Hubschmann,  commercial  impure  aconitia  yields  another  alka- 
loid, called  napellina.  The  impure  aconitia  is  treated  with  the 
smallest  quantity  of  ether  necessary  to  remove  the  pure  aconitia. 
The  residue  is  dissolved  in  alcohol,  filtered,  and  acetate  of  lead 
added  till  it  ceases  to  cause  a  precipitate.  The  liquid  is  shaken, 
digested,  filtered,  and  the  lead  in  solution  precipitated  by  sul- 
phuretted hydrogen.  The  liquid  is  again  digested,  filtered  and 
the  alcohol  evaporated,  an  excess  of  carbonate  of  potassa  added, 
evaporated  to  dryness,  extract  it  with  alcohol,  filter  the  alcoholic 
solution  through  purified  animal  charcoal,  and  evaporate  to  dry- 
ness. Thu  sobtained,  napellina  is  a  white  powder,  electric,  bitter 
to  the  taste,  and  then  burning,  and  possesses  in  a  marked  degree 
the  property  of  neutralizing  acids.  When  burnt  it  yields  am- 
moniacal  products.  It  is  but  slightly  soluble  in  ether,  and  is 
not  precipitated  from  its  aqueous  solution  by  ammonia  like 
aconitia.  It  has  only  been  found  in  small  quantities  in  the 
aconites  analogous  to  the  A.  napellus. — Repertoire  de  JPharm., 
July,  1858. 
On  Quinium  By  M.  Labarraque    .The  Academie  de 
Medecine  having  adopted  "quinium"  as  one  of  the  new  medicines 
which  should  be  introduced  into  the  next  edition  of  the  Codex, 
it  has  been  thought  useful  to  give  its  preparation  and  to  make 
known  the  principles  which  have  guided  the  authors  in  its  pre- 
paration, viz. : 
1.  It  enables  the  pharmaceutist  to  utilize  all  the  species  of 
cinchona  that  contain  quinia  and  cinchonia. 
2.  A  uniform  product  is  obtained  by  an  easy  and  exact  pro- 
cess of  testing  the  proportion  of  the  febrifuge  alkaloids. 
