26  Sulphovinic  Acid  and  its  Salts.  jin.:^^^''' 
have  a  large  number  of  ray  florets,  the  disk  florets  being  regarded  as 
more  active. 
The  author  believes  that  the  culture  of  these  species  will  not  be  re- 
munerative as  long  as  good  flow^ers  can  be  obtained  at  a  moderate  price 
from  Western  Asia,  and  from  Dalmatia. — Zeits.  Oest.  Apoth.  Ver.  1874, 
No.  29. 
Adulterated  Lycopodium. — Scriba  found  some  lycopodium  adulterated 
wkh  powdered  French  chalk  \  and  Hager  found  in  one  sample  8*9  per 
cent,  impurities,  consisting  of  powdered  rosin  and  well  dried  potato 
starch. — Pharm.  Centr.  Halle.,  1874,  No.  43. 
Red  Marking-Ink. — According  to  Th.  Wegler,  egg  albumen  is 
diluted  with  an  equal  weight  of  water,  rapidly  stirred  with  a  glass  rod 
until  it  foams,  and  then  filtered  through  linen.  The  filtrate  is  mixed 
with  a  sufl[icient  quantity  of  finely  levigated  vermilion  until  a  rather 
thick  liquid  is  obtained,  which  is  used  for  marking  with  a  quill ;  the 
rear  side  is  then  touched  with  a  hot  flat-iron,  whereby  the  albumen  is 
coagulated  ;  the  marking  is  affected  neither  by  soap,  alkalies  or  acids. 
The  ink  may  be  preserved  for  a  long  time,  in  well-corked  vials,  without 
depositing  the  vermilion. — Ibid..,  No.  44. 
Cologne  Water. — A  mixture  of  oils  is  made  as  follows  :  Oil  of  neroli 
2  p.,  oil  of  rosemary  i  p.,  oil  of  lemon  3  p.,  oil  of  bergamot  i  p.,  and 
oil  of  orange  3  parts.  One  kilogram  of  this  mixture  is  dissolved  in 
60  litres  of  alcohol  (85  to  90  per  cent.  ),  the  solution  heated  to  60°  C. 
(140^  F.)  and  subsequently  filtered.  The  heating  effects  the  blending 
of  the  perfumes  in  a  short  time,  which  otherwise  takes  place  only  after 
several  months. — Ibid. 
PREPARATION  OF  SULPHOVINIC  ACID  AND  ITS  SALTS. 
BY   T.   L.   PHIPSON,   PH.  D. 
The  preparation  of  sulphovinic  acid  is  by  no  means  an  easy  opera- 
tion, and,  as  certain  compounds  of  this  acid  are  now  beginning  to  be 
used  in  medicine,  perhaps  the  following  observations  may  not  be  devoid 
of  some  practical  interest. 
When  sulphuric  acid  and  alcohol  are  mixed  together  without  any 
special  precautions,  the  temperature  rises,  and  a  certain  quantity  of  sul- 
phovinic acid  is  formed  at  once  ;  but,  as  in  the  formation  of  this  acid  a 
certain  proportion  of  water  is  set  free,  and  prevents  the  continuation  of 
the  reaction,  it  is  never  completed,  even  after  the  mixture  has  been 
