512  GLEANINGS  FROM  FOREIGN  JOURNALS. 
America,  and  is  called  the  tomato  of  la  paz.  This  plant  is  lig- 
neous, attains  the  height  of  twelve  feet  and  its  fruit  yield  from 
one  to  fifteen  per  cent,  of  citric  acid.  The  common  tomato  also 
contains  citric  acid. — Cosmos,  in  Journ.  de  Chim.  M^d. 
Honey  of  RJiatany  Root.  Treat  300  parts  of  rhatany  with 
1000  parts  of  boiling  water  to  obtain  a  decoction,  strain,  add  800 
parts  of  white  honey  and  concentrate  until  the  whole  weighs 
1200  parts.  It  is  employed  as  a  gargle,  3  parts  to  make  20 
parts  of  a  stringent  gargle. — Rep.  de  Pharm.  and  Revue  Phar- 
maceutique. 
Process  for  Purifying  Oils  for  Manufacturing.  The  process 
of  M.  Keyer,  which  is  applicable  to  all  oils,  has  given  excellent 
results  in  a  manufactory  of  rape  seed  oil.  Into  100  kilo-grammes 
of  oil  put  a  mixture  of  600  grammes  of  solution  of  ammonia  and 
600  grammes  of  water,  and  agitate  the  barrel  well  until  the 
alkali  is  perfectly  mixed,  which  may  be  done  in  fifteen  minutes. 
The  barrel  is  then  sealed  hermetically,  and,  after  three  days  re- 
pose, the  oil  is  decanted  and  filtered.  The  residue  is  used  for 
the  manufacture  of  soap. 
Oil  thus  vrorked  contains  no  trace  of  acid,  and  the  mucila- 
ginous impurities  are  destroyed  or  precipitated. — Journ.  de 
Ohimie  Med.,  Aout,  1870. 
Accident  in  Distilling  Ether.  In  the  Journal  de  Pliarmacie., 
for  July,  M.  Regnauld  notices  the  following  accident,  whereby 
M.  Adrien  nearly  lost  his  life.  M.  Adrian  was  working  in  his 
laboratory,  at  Courbevoie,  when  his  preparator  quitted,  for  a  few 
minutes,  an  alembic  where  he  was  distilling  ether  by  steam  heat. 
Some  moments  after  he  had  left  M.  Adrian  observed  that  the 
flow  of  ether  was  too  rapid,  and  approached  the  still  to  moderate 
the  force  of  steam.  He  held  his  hand  on  the  key  of  the  stop- 
cock, when,  all  at  once,  in  the  middle  of  the  laboratory,  he  saw 
a  flame,  which  directed  itself  towards  the  condensing  vessel.  The 
ether  took  fire  and  broke  the  vessel,  the  contents  burst  over  the 
still,  which  boiled  over  and  threw  some  boiling  inflamo-ether  over 
M.  Adrian.  During  the  conflagration  which  ensued  he  tried  to 
open  a  door  situated  near  the  apparatus  but  failed,  and  was  con- 
strained to  traverse  the  flames  which  hemmed  him  in  to  reach 
an  open  door  beyond.    During  this  perilous  act  his  clothing 
