88  Preparotion  of  Red  and  Violet  Color fi.      { ^°'reb '"iSr"' 
COMPARATIVE  VALUE  OF  BENZOIN  AND  STYRAX 
IN  THE  PRESERVATION  OF  OINTMENTS. 
By  Benjamin  Franklin  Scholl,  Ph.G. 
(From  an  Inaugural  Essay.  ) 
A  tincture  of  storax  was  prepared  of  the  same  strengtli  as  tinctiura 
benzoini,  U.  S.  Pharmaeopueia,  1870  (three  troyounces  to  one  pint  of 
alcohol).  This  and  tincture  of  benzoin  was  used  in  a  series  of  experi- 
ments commenced  April  3^  1881.  Pure  fresh  lard  was  obtained  and 
the  following  mixtures  made,  following  the  pharmacopceia  process  : 
1.  Lard,  .^j  Tincture  of  styrax, 
2.  Lard,  .^j  Tincture  of  styrax,  .^ss 
3.  Lard,  %]  Tincture  of  styrax,  ^ilxv 
4.  Simple  cerate, Tincture  of  styrax, 
5.  Simple  cerate, Tincture  of  styrax,  ;^ss 
6.  Lard,  .^j  Tincture  of  benzoin,  3.] 
7.  Lard,  ^^j  Tincture  of  Vjenzoin,  ^ss 
The  specimens  were  put  in  wide-mouthed  bottles,  loosely  covered 
with  paper  so  as  to  admit  the  air,  but  exclude  the  dust,  and  were  then 
placed  on  a  shelf  in  the  store,  where  they  were  exposed  to  the  light  and 
heat  during  the  warm  summer  months.  On  examining  them  from  time 
to  time  Nos.  2  and  o  were  found  rancid  and  unfit  for  use,  August  30th, 
while  all  the  rest  were  still  in  good  condition. 
(October  20th,  a  perceptible  change  was  noticed  in  Nos.  1  and  5,  and 
a  short  time  afterwards  tliey  were  found  to  have  become  rancid  One 
month  later  No.  7  began  to  show  signs  of  becoming  rancid. 
Evidently  benzoin  is  preferable  to  styrax  foi*  the  preservation  of 
ointments  ;  but  if  the  latter  are  to  be  used  within  two  or  three  months, 
styrax  ^vould  answer  very  well  as  a  preservative. 
Preparation  of  Red  and  Violet  Colors. — Emil  Jacobsen  has 
])atented  a  process,  which  consists  in  heating  equal  volumes  of  chinoline 
and  benzotrichloride  for  some  time  to  130°  C,  removing  unaltered  chino- 
line by  cold  water,  and  extracting  the  coloring  matter  with  boiling  water  ; 
alkali  precipitates  the  dark-red  amorphous  color-base,  which  is  insol- 
uble in  ether,  sparingly  soluble  in  water,  and  freely  soluble  in  alcohol 
The  solutions  of  the  base  and  its  salts  are  violet-red,  with  a  strong  red- 
yellow  fluorescence,  which  is  also  observed  upon  the  wool  and  silk, 
dyed  with  the  compound.  Chinoline  may  be  replaced  by  its  homo- 
logues,  also  by  pyridine  and  its  homologues. —  Chem.  Zeitung,  1882, 
No.  67. 
