'^'"jify'ifzs^'^"''}  Gleanings  from  the  European  Journals.  303 
temperature  it  is  a  pea-yellow  solid,  resembling  the  basilicon  ointment 
{"  Phar.  Germ.")  in  color  and  consistence.  It  is  lighter  than  water, 
fuses  at  38^^  to  40°  C.  to  a  transparent  liquid,  and  commences  to  con- 
geal at  about  28°  C.  Two  drops  of  the  fused  oil  dissolve  in  10  or  12 
drops  of  warm  stronger  alcohol,  and  the  solution  does  not  separate  at 
a  medium  temperature.  Three  drops  of  the  oil  and  20  to  25  drops  of 
concentrated  sulphuric  acid  carefully  heated  to  30°  C,  yield  a  clear 
red-brown  hquid,  which,  after  ten  minutes,  dissolves  in  7  c  c.  of  90  per 
cent,  alcohol,  with  a  light  violet  color,  gradually  becoming  darker.  Two 
drops  of  a  solution  of  the  oil  in  petroleum  benzin  evaporated  spontan- 
eously leave  a  residue,  which,  with  a  magnifying  power  of  50  to  100 
diameters  has  a  ramifying  appearance  after  a  few  hours,  and  shows 
distinct  crystals  after  a  day.  One  part  of  oris  oil  yields,  with  3,000  to 
4,000  parts  of  weaker  alcohol,  a  solution  of  which  a  few  drops  put 
upon  a  handkerchief  develop  a  persistent  odor  of  violet. — Ibid.^  No.  19. 
Purification  of  Salicylic  Acid. — Dr.  A.  Rautert  found  that  salicylic 
acid  volatilizes  with  steam  of  170°  C.  undecomposed,  and  succeeded 
in  purifying  the  yellow  acid  as  obtained  by  Kolbe's  process  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner  :  A  cylindrical  copper  kettle  is  surrounded  by  another 
cylinder  containing  paraffin  heated  to  170°  C.  ;  the  kettle  is  charged 
with  about  2  lbs.  of  salicylic  acid,  over  which  steam  is  made  to 
pass,  after  having  been  heated  to  170°  C.  by  passing  it  through  a  leaden 
coil  immersed  in  a  paraffin  bath  of  this  temperature.  The  exit  tin 
pipe  of  3  centimetres  bore  passes  through  a  Liebig's  condenser  and  is 
cleared  from  the  condensing  acid  by  a  long  glass  tube,  or  stick  of  well 
boiled  pine  wood.  Towards  the  close  of  the  operation  the  tempera- 
ture of  both  paraffin  baths  is  raised  to  185°  C.  Very  little  black 
resinous  residue  remains  in  the  kettle  ;  the  distilled  acid  has  a  faint 
odor  of  carbolic  acid,  from  which  it  is  freed  by  crystallization  from 
boiling  distilled  water,  when  it  is  obtained  in  beautiful  snow-white  crys- 
tals. Common  water  and  ordinary  filtering  paper  would  impart,  by 
their  iron,  a  reddish  color.  The  operation  is  finished  in  about  two 
hours. 
Steam  under  a  pressure  of  5  atmospheres,  having  a  temperature  of 
160°  C,  volatilized  but  traces  of  salicylic  acid  ;  under  a  reduced  pres- 
sure, however,  the  distillation  could  most  likely  be  effected  at  a  lower 
temperature. — Ibid..,  No.  20,  from  Polyt.  Noti%bl. 
Detection  of  Fusel  Oil  in  Alcohol. — 5  c.c.  alcohol  are  mixed  with  6  or 
