A"janua?yfi9oim'}     Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  33 
THE  PRODUCTION  OF  CRYSTALS  OF  MERCURIC  AND  MERCUROUS  IODIDE 
IN  THE  WET  WAY. 
By  adding  ethyl  or  methyl  iodide  (preferably  the  latter)  to  an 
aqueous  solution  of  mercuric  acetate  or  mercurous  nitrate,  then 
shaking  and  allowing  the  mixture  to  stand  in  the  cold,  there  are 
slowly  formed  crystals  of  mercuric  or  mercurous  iodide.  The 
former  are  bright  red  transparent  plates  and  the  latter  are  bright 
yellow  needles.— F.  Bodroux,  Co  nip.  rend.,  130,  1622. 
L.  F.  K. 
CERIC  SULPHATES. 
Two  eerie  sulphates  exist,  the  one  yellow  in  color  and  the  other 
red.  The  former  is  of  simple  constitution,  the  latter  of  a  complica- 
ted structure.  By  dissolving  cerium  hydroxide  in  concentrated 
sulphuric  acid  and  evaporating  the  solution,  then  recrystallizing 
from  water,  the  yellow  sulphate  is  always  obtained  in  the  first  crys- 
tals and  the  reddish-brown  sulphate  then  generally  comes  down 
afterwards  as  large  crystals.  Careful  analysis  shows  the  yellow  sul- 
phate to  have  the  formula  Ce(S04)2,4H20  and  that  the  red  salt  is 
Ce2(S04)3,2Ce(S04)2,2H20. 
In  the  red  salt  the  metal  exists  in  both  the  trivalent  and  tetrava- 
lent  forms  in  equal  amounts.  The  yellow  compound  dissolves  to  a 
cleat  yellow  solution  in  water,  but  the  red  salt  is  at  once  decomposed 
by  water  into  insoluble  basic  compounds.— -W.  Muthmann  and  L. 
Stutzel,  Ber.  d.  Chem.  GeseL,  33,  1763.  L.  F.  K. 
LITHIUM  PEROXIDE. 
On  mixing  hydrogen  peroxide  (what  strength  ?)  with  a  5  or  6  per 
cent,  solution  of  lithium  hydroxide,  then  adding  an  equal  volume  of 
absolute  alcohol  and  allowing  the  whole  to  stand,  beautiful  colorless 
crystals  are  deposited,  having  the  following  formula :  Li202.H202.- 
3H20.  When  placed  into  a  vacuum  with  phosphorus  pentoxide, 
these  crystals  gradually  lose  water  and  leave  practically  nothing 
but  anhydrous  lithium  peroxide,  Li202. — de  Forcrand,  Comp.  rend.y 
130,  1465.  L.  F.  K. 
TO  PREVENT  THE  INTOXICATING  EFFECT  OF  ALCOHOL. 
L.  Meyer,  Eng.  Pat.  No.  6453,  Apr.  6,  1900. 
This  patent  covers  a  preparation  consisting  of  burnt  powdered 
coffee  bean  and  olive  oil  (neither  of  which  is  new),  to  be  taken 
