302        Recent  Literature  Relating  to  Pharmacy.  {^^iSfSp*"" 
deterioration,  hence  it  is  highly  advisable  to  dispense  the  kola  in  the 
fresh  form,  either  as  a  saccharine,  fruit  pulp,  as  a  syrup,  or  as  an 
elixir.  As  to  the  so-called  kola  red,  there  is  much  confusion  con- 
cerning this  product,  at  least  three  distinct  bodies  bearing  this  name, 
and  all  of  these  are  supposed  to  be  pathological  products  produced 
by  the  oxidizing  ferment.  Hence,  the  attempt  to  judge  the  value  of 
kola  nuts  by  amount  of  kola  red  they  obtain  is  characterized  as 
absurd. — (Charles,  Bull,  de  Sc.  Pharmacol.,  1900,495,  through  Schw. 
Woch.  Ch.  u.  Ph.,  1 901,  25.)  H.  V.  A. 
ACTION  OF  METALS  ON  95    PER  CENT.  ALCOHOL. 
95  per  cent,  alcohol  of  neutral  reaction  and  leaving  no  residue  on 
evaporation  was  left  in  contact  during  six  months,  placed  in  bottles 
of  white  glass,  carefully  corked  with  each  of  the  following  metals  : 
Copper,  iron,  tin,  lead,  zinc  and  galvanized  iron.  At  the  end  of  six 
months  the  originally  clear  liquid  was  found  turbid  and  containing 
quite  a  residue  other  than  the  metal  itself,  and  the  alcohol  from  each 
of  the  metals  save  copper,  yielded  on  evaporation  a  decided  amount 
of  residue.  Unfortunately,  the  experiment  was  not  a  quantitative 
one;  however,  it  leads  to  the  valuable  conclusion  that  all  metals 
used,  with  the  exception  of  copper,  are  partly  soluble  in  alcohol. 
(  Dr.  Malmejac,  J.  Ph.  et  Ch.,  1 901,  169).  H.  V.  A. 
ESTIMATION  OF  SUGAR  IN  URINE. 
The  administration  of  methylene-biue  obscures  the  Fehling's  test 
in  the  urine  of  the  patient.  In  such  cases  the  urine  must  first  be 
decolorized  by  aid  of  solution  of  mercuric  nitrate  ;  subacetate  or 
acetate  of  lead  not  answering  the  purpose. — (G.  Patein,  J.  Ph.  et  Ch., 
1901,  172.) 
A  NEW  SYNTHESIS  OF  THE  ALCOHOLS. 
Treatment  of  an  alcohol  with  its  sodium  salts  yields  an  alcohol 
having  twice  the  number  of  carbon  atoms.  Thus  inactive  amylic 
alcohol  C.5Hr-,0  with  its  sodium  derivative,  yields  an  alcohol  C10FL:O- 
Likewise  onanthic  alcohol  C-H130  plus  its  sodium  salts  yields  Beta- 
dionanthic  alcohol  C^H^O  and  the  onanthate  of  sodium.  Likewise 
the  dionanthic  alcohol  heated  with  the  sodium  derivative  of  onanthic 
alcohol  gives  trionanthic  alcohol  C21H440.  The  two  new  bodies, 
dionanthic  and  trionantlrc  alcohol,  are  described  in  the  article. — 
(M.  Guerbet,  %  Ph.  et  Ch.,  1901,  179.)  H.  V.  A. 
