506 
GLEANINGS  FROM  THE  FRENCH  JOURNALS. 
On  a  small  scale,  soluble  Prussian  blue  can  be  made  economic- 
ally in  the  following  way  : — Make  on  the  one  hand  a  solution  of 
yellow  prussiate  containing  21*7  per  cent,  of  that  salt  by 
weight ;  on  the  other,  a  solution  of  one  part  of  solid  sesqui- 
chloride  of  iron  in  ten  of  water.  Take  equal  volumes  of  these 
solutions,  and  add  to  each  twice  its  volume  of  a  cold  concen- 
trated solution  of  sulphate  of  soda ;  then  pour  the  sesqui- 
chloride  into  the  prussiate,  stirring  constantly ;  throw  the  whole 
on  a  filter,  and  when  it  has  drained,  wash  with  cold  water  until 
it  begins  to  color  the  water.  The  product  when  dry  is  perfectly 
soluble  in  water,  and  makes  beautiful  injections. — Jour,  de 
Pharm.,  Sept.,  1866. 
Strychnia  in  Strychnos  Tieute. — M.  Bernelot-Moens  (Zeitschr. 
fur  Chem.,  1866,)  says  Strychnos  tieute  grows  spontaneously  in 
Java,  and  that  its  seeds  are  richer  in  strychnia  than  nux  vomica. 
When  dry,  they  contain  1-469  per  cent,  of  this  alkaloid,  with 
but  traces  of  brucia. 
Aspartic  Acid  in  Beet  Root  Molasses.  M.  Schreibler, 
(Zeitsch.  fur  Chem.,  1866). — Asparagin  has  been  discovered  in 
beet  juice  by  M.  Dubrunfont,  whilst  others  have  failed  in  finding 
it.  The  author  attributes  this  failure  to  the  fact  that  when  the 
juice  is  defecated  with  lime,  the  asparagin  is  converted  into 
aspartic  acid  and  ammonia,  and  is  thus  lost ;  and  he  attributes 
to  this  cause  the  evolution  of  ammonia  always  observed  in  beet 
sugar-making  when  lime  is  used.  He  obtains  it  thus : — The 
molasses,  diluted  conveniently,  is  precipitated  first  with  basic 
acetate  of  lead  in  slight  excess,  filtered,  and  a  solution  of  nitrate 
of  protoxide  of  mercury  added,  which  throws  down  the  acid  as 
aspartate  of  mercury,  which  is  washed  and  decomposed  with 
sulphuretted  hydrogen,  filtered  and  evaporated  to  a  syrupy  con- 
sistence, which,  on  standing,  deposits  prismatic  crystals  of  the 
acid.  These  are  washed  with  cold  and  hot  alcohol,  and  after- 
wards recrystallized  from  water.  The  author  has  also  found  an 
alkaloid  which  is  very  soluble  in  water  and  alcohol,  and  possesses 
a  strong  odor  of  musk.  It  is  deliquescent,  and  by  heat  gives  off 
ammonia,  accompanied  by  an  odor  of  prussic  acid  and  caromel. 
M.  Nickles  says  that  this  is  probably  triethylammin. — Jour,  de 
Pharm.y  Sept.,  1866. 
