^'"iviTi875        Gleanings  from  the  European  Journals.  503 
15-37  p.;  48"",  20-28  p.  ;  78°,  60-775  p.,  and  at  the  boiling  point 
1 20- 1 86  parts  succinic  acid. — Ibid.^  No.  27^^  from  Compt.  rend. 
Active  principle  of  Ergot. — Buchheim  found  the  extractum  secalis 
cornuti  of  the  German  pharmacopoeia  very  acid  from  lactic  acid,  which 
appears  to  be  produced  from  mycose.  The  extract  was  treated  with 
lime,  the  filtrate  precipitated  with  subacetate  of  lead,  the  excess  of  lead 
removed  by  carbonate  of  ammonium  and  the  filtrate  evaporated.  The 
syrupy  residue  separated  crystals  of  leucin  in  the  course  of  one  day  ; 
tyrosin  was  not  found  The  filtrate  was  treated  with  lime  to  expel 
ammonia,  and  with  oxalic  acid  to  remove  lime,  then  evaporated,  dis- 
solved in  diluted  alcohol  and  precipitated  by  ether.  This  precipitate 
had  the  specific  action  upon  the  webfoot  of  the  frog,  noticed  by  Wer- 
nich,  but  still  contained  leucin  and  inorganic  compounds.  It  resembles 
glue  in  appearance,  but  is  deliquescent  and  does  not  gelatinize.  Wiggers 
already  likened  ergotin  to  osmazom  (a  term  formerly  applied  to  the 
portion  of  extract  of  meat  soluble  in  diluted  alcohol.) — Ihid..^  No.  24, 
from  Corr.f.  Med.  Wissensch, 
The  best  Substitute  for  mother's  Milk^  acccording  to  Beno  Martiny,  is 
the  yolk  of  chicken  egg,  which  weighs,  on  an  average,  15  grams,  and 
when  diluted  with  57*1  grams  of  water  of  about  100°,  and  5  grams 
of  milk-sugar  has  nearly  the  same  composition  as  the  milk  in  the  first 
period  of  lactation.  Subsequently  the  fat  and  protein  decrease,  and  to 
one  yolk  may  be  added  100  grams  of  water  and  6  grams  of  milk-sugar. 
From  the  fourth  month  a  little  cow's  milk  may  be  added  and  gradually 
increased  until  it  forms  one-third  of  the  mixture,  when,  also,  the  egg- 
albumen  is  to  be  added.  After  about  15  months,  the  eggs  may  be 
boiled  soft  and  given  separately. — Ibid.^  No.  25,  from  Milchzeitung, 
Behavior  of  Arrowroot  to  Hydrochloric  Acid. — The  "  German  Phar- 
macopoeia "  gives  as  a  test  for  arrowroot,  that  one  part  of  it,  when 
agitated  for  ten  minutes  with  ten  parts  of  a  mixture  composed  of  two 
parts  hydrochloric  acid  and  one  part  of  water,  must  separate  again, 
almost  unchanged,  without  becoming  mucilaginous  or  giving  off  an 
herbaceous  odor  resembling  that  of  unripe  bean-pods.  Professor  E. 
Schaer  has  found  that  potato  starch  very  readily  yields  a  thick,  almost 
clear  jelly,  forming  a  complete  solution  in  the  course  of  a  few  hours, 
and  having  a  strong  herbaceous  or  bean-like  odor  ;  wheat  starch  yields 
no  jelly,  and  after  several  hours  a  strongly  opalescent  solution  ;  the 
starches  of  maranta,  manihot  and  curcuma  behave  as  indicated  by  the 
