Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy,    /Am- Jour- Pharm- 
April,  1901. 
the  deficiency  of  nitrogenous  matter,  but  they  will  not  raise  the 
per  cent,  of  phosphates,  and  the  apparent  increase  in  yield  of  bread 
is  purely  fictitious,  being  due  to  the  additional  water  absorbed  by 
the  driedt!gluten.  L.  F.  K. 
SPURIOUS  VENETIAN  TURPENTINE. 
G.  Fabris  (Annali  del  Laboratorio  Chimico  Centrale  delle  Gabelle, 
1900,  4,  143,  from  Jour.  Soc.  Chem.  Ind.,  19,  768). 
Spurious  Venetian  turpentine,  consisting  of  mixtures  of  rosin 
oil,  colophony  and  oil  of  turpentine,  have  for  some  time  past  found 
their  way  into  commerce,  their  color  and  consistency  depending 
on  the  relative  proportions  of  the  several  constituents.  In  general, 
such  products  are  very  thick  and  have  a  mingled  odor  of  their  com- 
ponent products.  They  are  completely  soluble  in  95  per  cent, 
alcohol,  have  acid  value  from  105  to  113-8;  saponification  number 
113*6  to  119-2,  and  from  6  to  13  per  cent,  distils  below  2500  C. 
From  these  figures  the  following  deductions  as  to  composition  are 
made:  turpentine,  6  to  1 3  per  cent.;  colophony,  65-2  to  67-9  per 
cent.:  and  rosin  oil,  by  difference,  19-1  to  28-8  per  cent. 
There  is  some  possibility  of  confusing  the  genuine  Larch  or 
Venetian  with  these  spurious  products,  yet  there  are  several  distinct 
differences.  The  Venetian  turpentine  invariably  contains  more  than 
15  per  cent,  of  oil  of  turpentine,  the  acid  value  varies  from  65  to  75, 
and  the  saponification  number  from  no  to  125. 
The  rosin  oil  can  be  detected  by  dissolving  5  -grammes  of  the 
sample  in  20  c.c.  of  95  per  cent,  alcohol,  adding  a  few  drops  of  phe- 
nolphtalein  and  sufficient  of  a  10  per  cent,  solution  of  potassium 
hydroxide  to  render  alkaline.  In  case  of  genuine  Venetian  turpen- 
tine a  clear  solution  results,  while  the  solution  of  an  artificial  pro- 
duct becomes  turbid,  and,  on  standing,  oily  drops  of  rosin  oil  separate. 
L.  F.  K. 
ALBUMIN  MANUFACTURE  IN  CHINA. 
In  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  J.  (Nov.,  1900,  p.  225)  it  is  stated  that 
the  albumin  industry  established  at  Hankow  lately  has  made  substan- 
tial progress.  The  white  ot  the  egg  is  employed  in  numerous  indus- 
tries, but  is  principally  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  leather.  All 
kinds  of  eggs  are  employed  in  the  manufacture  of  albumin,  but  ducks' 
eggs  are  richest  in  white  and,  therefore,  most  in  demand.    The  eggs 
