^^'^May%s^5.'"''}    Gleanitigs  from  European  Journals.  209 
The  yield  of  extracts  was  the  subject  for  competition  for  the  Meurer 
prize  for  apprentices  in  Germany.  The  report  of  W.  Dankwortt, 
states  that  the  following  average  yields  (according  to  the  processes  of 
the  German  Pharmacopoeia)  may  be  regarded  as  finally  settled  :  Extr. 
aurantii  cort.,  30;  extr.  belladonnae,  3*5;  extr.  centaurei,  24;  extr. 
chamomillae,  25;  extr.  chinae  fuscae  frig,  par.,  12  ;  extr.  Colombo,  10-5  ; 
•extr.  conii,  3;  extr.  digitalis,  4;  extr.  graminis,  26  ;  extr.  hyoscyami,  3; 
extr.  lign.  campech.,  11*5;  extr.  liquiritiae,  30;  extr.  millefolii,  25  ;  extr. 
myrrhae,  50 ;  extr.  pulsatillae  4*5 ;  extr.  quassiae,  5  ;  extr.  sabinae,  23  ; 
€xtr.  secal.  cornut.,  16;  extr.  senegae,  24;  extr.  stramonii,  3;  and  extr. 
Valerianae,  24  per  cent.  For  twelve  other  extracts  the  reported  yields 
varied  from  twice  to  over  seven  times  the  quantities  obtained  by  others. 
— Ibid.^  pp.  128-132. 
Purified  Extract  of  Licorice. — In  a  notice  on  the  preparation  of  this 
article,  E.  Ungewitter  states  that,  by  digesting  stick-licorice  in  90  per 
cent,  alcohol,  a  resinous  constituent  of  a  disagreeable  acrid  taste  is  re- 
moved and  the  resulting  extract  (obtained  with  cold  water)  has  an  agree- 
able, purely  sweet  taste. — Ibid..,  p.  134. 
Exsiccated  Syrups. — In  addition  to  his  experiments  with  dried  almond 
syrup  {see  "Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1874,  p.  362),  Dr.  Enders  has  found 
that  the  syrups  of  marshmallow  and  red  poppy  petals  may  be  treated  in 
a  similar  manner,  by  evaporating  the  recently-prepared  syrups  in  a 
steam-bath  to  dryness,  powdering  the  residue  and  keeping  it  in  well- 
stoppered  bottles.  Dissolved  in  four-fifths  its  weight  of  water,  such  a 
powder  yields  an  unobjectionable  syrup. — Ibid..,  p.  136. 
Identity  of  Lycina  and  Betaina. — Prof.  Aug.  Husemann,  in  comparing 
the  properties  of  lycina  (''Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1864,  p.  225)  with  those 
of  betaina  [Ibid..,  1869,  p.  559),  arrives  at  the  conclusion  that  both  alka- 
loids are  identical,  he  having  satisfied  himself  that  the  former,  on  being 
heated  with  hydrate  of  potassium,  yields  trimethylamina  like  the  latter. 
Their  composition  is  C5H^^N02,  isomeric  or  polymeric  with  butalanina 
of  Gorup-Besanez,  and  with  lactamethan  and  lactethylamid  of  Wurtz. 
O.  Liebreich  *  has  already  proven  the  identity  of  betaina  with  a  base 
obtained  by  him  by  acting  with  monochloracetic  acid  upon  trimethyla- 
mina, and  with  oxyneurina,  resulting  from  oxidizing  neurina  C^H^gNO, 
which  was  obtained  from  the  protagon  of  brain-substance  by  boiling  with 
baryta  water.    The  author  believes,  with  Scheibler  and  Liebreich,  that 
-X- «  Berlchte  d.  deutsch.  chem.  Gesellsch.,"  1870,  p.  161. 
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