"^""Ma^'iSs^"^' }     Gleanings  from  European  Journals.  2 1 3 
Saunders,  150  parts  of  slacked  lime  and  some  water,  drying  the  mixture 
and  exhausting  the  residue  with  ether,  Cazeneuve  obtained,  after  the 
distillation  of  the  ether,  crystals,  which  are  purified  by  dissolving  them 
in  boiling  85  per  cent,  alcohol.  Pterocarpin  has  the  composition 
C2oHjgOg,  is  insoluble  in  water,  sparingly  soluble  in  cold  alcohol,  more 
in  ether  and  freely  in  chloroform.  Sulphuric  acid  colors  it  red,  and 
cold  nitric  acid  dissolves  it  with  an  emerald-green  color  ;  it  appears  to 
be  a  glucoside. — Bull,  de  la  Soc.  Chim.  de  Parls^  Feb.,  1875,  p.  97. 
Wafer  Capsules  for  Powders. — S.  Limousin  describes  the  manner  of 
filling  the  wafer  capsules  proposed  by  him  ("Amer.  Jour.  Phar.,"  1873, 
p.  190)  together  with  the  necessary  apparatus.  The  concavely-pressed 
wafer  discs  are  placed  into  suitable  receptacles  arranged  upon  a  board, 
and  the  powder,  divided  into  the  proper  doses,  is  put  into  the  wafer, 
while  the  interior  surface  of  the  margin  of  another  empty  disc  is  moist- 
ened by  means  of  a  simple  contrivance.  The  empty  wafer,  which  is  in- 
tended as  a  cover  for  the  first  one  containing  the  powder,  is  placed  upon 
it,  the  margins  are  slightly  pressed  together  with  the  fingers  and  then 
firmly  united  by  means  of  a  small  lever  press. — Rep.  de  Pharmacie^ 
1874,  pp.  743-746. 
Action  of  Hydrogen  upon  Nitrate  of  Silver. — N.  Beketoff  concludes, 
from  his  experiments,  that  pure  hydrogen,  passed  through  a  neutral  or 
slightly  acid  solution  of  silver  nitrate,  reduces  some  silver  with  the 
formation  of  a  corresponding  quantity  of  water  ;  but  he  believes  that 
the  reaction  is  arrested  when  the  liquid  has  attained  a  certain  degree  of 
acidity. — Ibid..^  1875,  p.  37. 
Valerianate  of  caffeina  has  been  recommended  by  Dr.  Paret,  and  was 
found  very  effectual  by  Dr.  Gubler,  in  the  persistent  vomiting  of  hyste- 
ria. It  is  given  in  the  form  of  pills,  in  doses  of  o*i  gram,  (ij-  grains) 
to  be  repeated  six  or  eight  times  in  twenty-four  hours. — Ibid..^  pp.  79-81. 
Neutral  sulphovinate  of  quinia  is  prepared  by  Prof.  P.  Jaillard,  by  in- 
troducing 8'7i  grams  of  ofiicinal  sulphate  of  quinia  into  a  boiling  solu- 
tion of  4*27  grams  sulphovinate  of  barium  in  100  grams  distilled  water, 
care  being  taken  that  both  salts  are  completely  decomposed.  The  clear 
filtrate  is  evaporated  by  means  of  a  water-bath  to  a  syrupy  liquid,  which, 
on  cooling,  forms  a  crystalline  mass  ;  this  is  dried  either  by  pressure  or 
under  a  bell-glass  over  burnt  lime,  and  reduced  to  powder.  Thus  pre- 
pared it  is  soluble  in  twice  its  weight  of  water,  and  this  solution  is  adap- 
ted for  hypodermic  injection.  If  the  salt  is  prepared  from  sulphovinate 
of  sodium  and  sulphate  of  quinia  in  the  presence  of  alcohol,  it  is  less 
soluble,  requiring  four  parts  of  water. — Ibid..^  p.  102. 
