% 
308  Practical  Notes.  { '^'"ji'iss*.™*' 
Aqua  Foeniculi. — Oil  of  fennel  2  parts,  water  sufficient  for  lOOD 
parts.  U.  S. — Bruised  fennel  1  part,  water  sufficient ;  distil  30  parts. 
P.  G. 
Aquce  Ilenthce  piperitce. — Oil  of  peppermint  2  parts,  water  sufficient 
for  1000  parts.  U,  S, — Cut  peppermint  leaves  1  part,  water  sufficient; 
distil  10  parts.P.  G. 
Aqua  Menthce  viridis,  U.  S.y  is  prepared  like  the  preceding,  using 
oil  of  spearmint.  The  corresponding  water  of  the  German  Pharma- 
copoeia is  Aqua  Menthce  crispm  prepared  like  peppermint  water,  using 
the  leaves  of  the  cultivated  crisped  mint. 
PRACTICAL  NOTES  FROM  VARIOUS  SOURCES. 
By  the  Editor. 
Reagents  for  Alkaloids. — R.  Palm  directs  attention  to  the  following 
reactions:  Sodium  sulphantimoniate  yields  in  nearly  neutral  sokitions 
of  alkaloids  precipitates  consisting  of  sulphide  of  alkaloid  and  anti- 
mony ;  in  very  dilute  solutions  the  precipitates  are  at  first  colorless  or 
milky,  but  in  contact  with  air  change  to  yellowish  ;  in  more  concen- 
trated solutions  they  are  at  once  yellow  or  red-brown.  Most  of  these 
precipitates  are  soluble  in  excess  of  the  precipitant. 
Chloride  of  lead  dissolved  in  water  or  in  solution  of  sodium  chlo- 
ride yields  with  most  alkaloidal  salts  colorless  crystalline  i)recipitates^ 
A  concentrated  solution  of  sodium  chloride  precipitates  bebeerine,  the 
alkaloid  of  bebeeru  bark,  completely  as  hydrochloride,  a  behavior  which 
may  be  useful  in  the  preparation  of  this  alkaloid. —  Chem.  Ztg.j  April 
29,  1883;  Zeitsdi.  Anal.  Chem. 
Anhydrous  Calcium  Chloride. — A.  Weber  sliows  that  crystallized 
calcium  chloride,  on  being  heated  to  200°C.  (392°F.),  parts  with  all 
its  water,  retaining  only  a  minute  quantity  of  it,  and  leaving  a  porous 
mass,  which  for  most  uses  is  far  preferable  to  the  granulated,  fre- 
quently hydrated  salt,  and  to  the  fused  salt,'  which  is  too  compact. 
The  porous  mass,  obtained  as  stated,  was  found  to  contain  0*5  per  cent.- 
CaO,  which  amount  by  subsequent  fusion  was  increased  to  '38  per 
cent.  The  calcium  oxide  results  from  a  decomposition  of  the  chloride 
by  the  last  traces  of  water,  hydrochloric  acid  being  given  off. — 
Berichte,  1882,  p.  2316. 
Pencils  of  chloride  of  zinc  are  made  so  as  to  contain  either  one  part 
