564  Scientific  and  Technical  Abstracts.     j A ^J0^  ^fi™1' 
pressure,  and  also  a  product  which  causes  a  rise  in  the  blood  pres- 
sure, and  which  is  carried  down  by  the  precipitate  when  mercuric 
chloride  is  added  to  the  extract.  The  latter  substance  is  probably 
tyramine,  but  it  could  not  be  identified  with  certainty.  It  is  very  im- 
probable that  histamine  is  present.  No  evidence  of  the  presence  of 
an  alkaloid  was  obtained.  The  choline  bases  were  obtained  directly 
by  precipitation  with  alcoholic  platinum  chloride  solution,  and  the 
following  method  of  evaluating  the  extract  is  based  on  this  observa- 
tion: Five  cc.  of  the  liquid  extract  (1  in  1)  is  mixed  with  12  cc.  of 
alcohol  and  20-25  cc.  of  1  per  cent,  alcoholic  solution  of  platinum 
chloride.  The  precipitate  is  filtered  after  one  or  two  days,  dried, 
and  subsequently  extracted  on  the  filter  with  hot  water,  the  impuri- 
ties remaining  on  the  filter.  The  filtrate  is  evaporated  in  a  tared  dish, 
and  if  necessary  again  filtered.  A  good  sample  of  the  drug  should 
yield  at  least  0.2  gm.  of  platinum  compounds,  the  purity  of  which  is 
controlled  by  observation  of  the  melting  point. — Boruttau  and  Cap- 
penberg,  Arch.  Pharm.,  1921,  259,  33-52;  through  Pharm.  Journ. 
and  Pharm.,  June,  192 1. 
Benzyl  Esters  of  the  Higher  Fatty  Acids. — The  authors 
have  shown  that  the  benzyl  esters  of  the  higher  fatty  acids  may 
readily  be  prepared,  either  by  the  action  of  benzyl  alcohol  on  the 
acid  chloride,  or  by  the  action  of  benzyl  chloride  on  the  alkali  salt  of 
the  fatty  acid  dissolved  in  excess  of  the  fatty  acid.  These  esters  are 
tasteless  and  odorless,  and  have  an  antispasmodic  action.  They  are 
more  readily  hydrolyzed  by  lipase  than  are  the  benzyl  esters  of  the 
aromatic  acids.  Bye  {Journ.  Ind.  Eng.  Chem.,  1921,  13,  217-218) 
has  prepared  benzyl  succinate  by  heating  succinic  acid  with  benzyl 
alcohol.  It  forms  snow-white  crystals,  and  is  practically  non-toxic. 
This  substance  may  be  used  medicinally  with  advantage  in  any  con- 
ditions where  the  use  of  benzyl  benzoate  is  indicated. — Shoule  and 
Row,  /.  Amer.  Chem.  Soc,  1921,  43,  361-365. 
A  Test  for  the  Adulteration  of  Olive  Oil. — M.  Ernest  Mil- 
lieu  in  a  paper  presented  to  the  French  Academy  of  Sciences,  recom- 
mends the  following  method  for  detecting  the  presence  of  small 
amounts  of  cottonseed  oil  in  olive  oil.  The  fatty  acids  of  the  oil  are 
separated  in  the  usual  manner  and  dissolved  in  three  times  their  vol- 
ume of  900  alcohol.   The  solution  is  then  placed  on  a  water  bath  and 
