GLEANINGS  FROM  GERMAN  JOURNALS. 
321 
and  the  residue  dissolved  in  pure  alcohol. —  Wittsteins  VierteJj. 
jSchr.,  1870,  1-14. 
JExtract.  Physostigm.  Venenos.  Alcohol.  J.  B.  Enz  obtained, 
bj  exhausting  Calabar  beans  with  alcohol  of  83  sp.  gr.,  2  per 
cent,  of  a  deep  green  extract,  the  color  of  which  is  not  altered 
bj  concentrated  sulphuric  acid,  but  on  the  subsequent  addition 
of  bichromate  of  potassa  changes  to  blood  red.  The  alkaloid  is 
not  entirely  taken  up  by  alcohol  from  the  Calabar  bean,  unless 
the  same  be  previously  deprived  of  resin  and  fat  by  ether. 
The  author  recommends  to  preserve  this  extract  (and  other  nar- 
cotic extracts)  by  Appert's  method  against  the  influence  of  light 
and  air. — Ibid.  14-16. 
Oxidation  of  Paraffin  by  Fusion.  Bolley  and  Tuchschmid 
ascertained  that  paraffin,  heated  to  150°  C.  in  contact  with  the 
air,  is  slowly  converted  into  a  dark  brown  body,  which  is  elastic 
like  caoutchouc,  becomes  gelatinous  at  100°  C,  does  not  fuse  at 
a  higher  temperature,  is  insoluble  in  alcohol,  ether  and  acids, 
slightly  soluble  in  benzol  and  boiling  alkaline  solutions,  and  con- 
tains 70-04  C,  10-25  H.  and  lli-71  O.—Ibid.  291,  from  Sehweiz. 
polytechn.  Zeitschr.,  xiii,  65. 
Poisoning  by  Arnica  Flowers.  Dr.  A.  Schumann,  of  Dresden, 
relates  the  case  of  a  woman  who,  for  suppressed  menstruation, 
drank  an  infusion  of  a  handful  of  arnica  flowers.  After  half  an 
hour  she  was  taken  with  violent  vomiting  and  severe  conges- 
tion, in  a  few  hours  with  intense  pain  in  the  stomach  and  intes- 
tines, when  after  nine  or  ten  hours  collapse  set  in.  On  the  third 
day  the  pains  returned,  and  together  with  intercurrent  diarrhoea, 
continued  for  eight  days  longer,  notwithstanding  suitable  treat- 
ment.— Zeitschr.  d.  oesterr.  Apoth.  Ver.,  1870,  134,  from 
Schmidt's  Jahrbilcher. 
Estimation  of  Iodine.  W.  Reinige  uses  a  solution  of  2-5  grm. 
permanganate  of  potassa  in  497*5  grm.  distilled  water,  one 
gramme  of  which  oxidizes  two  milligrm.  iodine  to  iodic  acid ; 
the  presence  of  iodate,  chlorine  and  bromine  are  without  influ- 
ence on  the  result.  The  operation  is  performed  as  follows  :  the 
iodine  is  combined  with  potassium,  the  solution  is  rendered 
faintly  alkaline,  and  heated  to  boiling,  when  the  solution  of  the 
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