^"'£^188?'^'"'}  ^J^i^^^<^^^*^/<^^  Making  Ethereal  Tinchires.  26^ 
In  preparing  colcliiceine  from  colchicine,  the  author  obtained  a  new 
base,  apocolehiceinej  which  has  botli  basic  and  acid  characters.  It  may 
be  obtained  in  larger  quantities,  besides  methyl  chloride,  on  heating 
colchiceine  with  hydrochloric  acid  ;  and  on  increasing  and  continuing 
the  heat,  another  substance  is  obtained  having  acid  properties. — FJiar, 
Post,  1883,  W.  10. 
Formio  and  Acetic  Acid  in  Plants. — From  a  series  of  experiments 
made  with  thirty-five  plants  belonging  to  different  groups,  Emil  Berg- 
mann  concludes  that  these  two  acids  are  constantly  present  in  the 
protoplasm  of  the  different  parts  of  plants,  those  containing  chloro- 
phyll, as  well  as  those  which  are  free  from  it ;  that  most  likely  propi- 
onic, butyric  and  other  volatile  fatty  acids  are  likewise  widely  dis- 
tributed in  the  vegetable  kingdom ;  and  that  these  acids  are  formed  a& 
products  of  decomposition  from  certain  constituents  of  the  vegetable 
protoplasm  in  growing  plants. —  Chem.  Centralblatt,  1883,  W.  12. 
SIMPLE  APPAKATUS  FOR  MAKING  ETHEREAL  TINC- 
TURES, ETC.,  BY  PERCOLATION. 
By  John  Calvert. 
Vessels  1  and  2  are  ordinary  quart 
douche  bottles ;  No.  3  is  a  common  quart 
I„  ,,,,,,„„  flask  ;  Nos.  2  and  3  are  fitted  with  corks 
I  IL^       2  through  which  one  piece  of  glass  tube  is. 
passed. 
No.  1  is  the  reservoir ;  No.  2  is  the  per- 
colator ;  No.  3  is  the  receiver. 
The  lower  orifice  of  No.  1  is  connected 
with  No.  2  by  means  of  a  short  piece  of 
vulcanized  rubber  tubing. 
The  receiver  is  marked  to  indicate  a 
pint. 
To  make  a  pint  of  ethereal  tincture  of 
cantharides,  or  blistering  liquid,  sixteen 
troy  ounces  of  powdered  cantharides  are  put 
into  the  percolator ;  a  plug  of  tow  is  inserted  in  the  neck,  followed  by 
the  cork  carrying  the  glass  tube.  The  bottle  is  inverted  and  its  con- 
tents packed  as  closely  as  possible,  by  gently  slapping  the  sides  of  the 
