504  Gleanings  from  the  European  Journals,  {^"'•i^o"'i8*75^'"'^ 
"  Pharmacopoeia,"  being  partly  dissolved  after  24  hours  ;  but  some 
samples  of  maranta  starch  form  in  10,  or  even  in  5  minutes,  a  thick^ 
turbid  jelly,  which  gradually  becomes  limpid.  This  different  behavior 
is  ascribed,  by  the  author,  either  to  climatic  influences  or  more  proba- 
bly to  different  treatment  in  the  manufacture.  The  peculiar  bean-like 
odor  is  developed  only  from  potato  starch,  v^^hich  may  thus  be  detected 
if  used  as  an  adulterant  of  or  substitute  for  maranta  arrow^root. — 
Archiv,  d.  Phar.  1875,  Aug.  97-103. 
The  Solubility  of  Oil  of  Bitter  Almonds  in  Water  is  usually  stated  to 
be  one  part  of  the  former  in  thirty  parts  of  the  latter.  Professor 
Fliickiger  found  this  proportion  to  be  incorrect,  as  u^ell  for  the  ordinary 
oil  containing  HCy,  as  also  after  it  had  been  deprived  of  HCy,  or  had 
been  separated  from  its  crystallized  compound  w^ith  bisulphite  of  sodium. 
After  the  addition  of  250  parts  of  water,  the  heavy  oil-drops  remain 
finely  divided  in  the  water,  imparting  to  it  a  turbid  appearance,  which 
becomes  much  clearer  after  300  parts  have  been  added,  but  even  with 
much  more  water,  not  entirely  clear.  The  solubility  is  influenced  also- 
by  the  formation  of  benzoic  acid  and  hydrobenzamid,  which  are 
sparingly  soluble  in  cold  water  ;  a  higher  temperature  does  not  appear 
to  considerably  increase  the  solubility  of  the  oil  in  water. — Ibid.^  103. 
Cauterizing  Pencils  of  Sulphate  of  Copper, — K.  Calmberg  did  not 
succeed  in  obtaining  serviceable  sticks  by  following  StefFen's  method 
("  Amer.  Jour.  Phar."  1875,  p.  267),  and  again  recommends  the  pro- 
cess proposed  by  him  twelve  years  ago  {ihid.^  1864,  pp.  106  and  109)  : 
4  parts  of  crystallized  sulphate  of  copper  are  triturated  in  a  warm 
mortar  with  one  part  of  borax  ;  the  mass  becomes  soft  from  the  libera- 
tion of  water  of  crystallization  and  may  readily  be  rolled  into  sticks 
should  it  become  too  dry  a  little  water  is  added. — Ihid.^  133. 
Detection  of  Bromide  in  Iodide  of  Potassium. — Van  Melckebeke's  method 
for  detecting  this  adulteration  was  criticized  by  A.  E.  Tanner  ("  Amer^ 
Jour.  Phar."  1873,  P-  4^^)?  recently  the  subject  of  investiga- 
tion by  E.  Biltz,  who  found  that  it  would  not  reliably  indicate  the 
presence  of  less  than  3  per  cent,  of  bromide.  Biltz  regards  the  test 
ordered  by  the  "  German  Pharmacopoeia  "  as  preferable  since  an  im» 
purity  of  i  part  of  either  chloride  or  bromide  is  readily  detected  there- 
by  ;  he  has  modified  the  manipulation  as  follows  :  An  ammoniacal  solu- 
tion of  the  iodide  is  precipitated  by  excess  of  nitrate  of  silver  and  the 
filrate  from  the  silver  iodide  supersaturated  with  nitric  acid  ;  in  the 
presence  of  i  part  of  chloride  or  bromide  a  strong  opalescence  occurs 
at  once,  which  increases  to  opaqueness  within  ten  minutes. — Ibid,^ 
p.  144-150. 
