lo  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals,  { ^'"ja^Tisso.^""' 
at  -[-I5^R.,  is  slightly  yellowish,  but  may  be  obtained  colorless  by 
redistilling,  and  has  a  pleasant,  aromatic  odor,  resembling  sassafras,  and 
a  burning,  aromatic  taste.  It  does  not  change  the  color  of  test  papers^ 
burns  with  a  bright  flame  and  aromatic  smoke,  and  is  not  affected  by 
sodium,  but  reacts  very  strongly  with  fuming  nitric  acid,  forming  ulti- 
mately a  dark  purple  soft  resin,  which,  after  washing  with  water  and 
drying,  is  brown,  solid,  readily  pulverizible,  and  insoluble  in  cold  but 
soluble  in  boiling  alcohol.  The  combined  action  upon  the  oil  of  nitric 
and  sulphuric  acids  yields  also  a  brown  resinous  mass,  having  a  mild 
aromatic  musk  odor.  One  gram  of  oil  yields  o*6o  gram  of  this  resin, 
which  retains  its  musk-odor  for  a  long  time,  and  is  well  adapted  as  a 
substitute  for  musk.  The  ultimate  result  of  its  reaction  with  sulphuric 
acid  is  a  dirk  brown  soft  resin,  having  a  terebinthinous  odor. — Ztschr. 
d.  Jllg.  Oest.  Jp,  Ver,^  Oct.  20,  1879,  p,  441. 
Menthol  as  an  Antiseptic. — The  ordinary  Japanese  or  Chinese  oil 
of  peppermint  (Took-chang-yonk)  contains  so  much  stearopten  (men- 
thol) that  it  is  a  solid  mass  at  the  ordinary  temperature.  A  liquid  oil 
of  peppermint,  called  "  Poho-Oil,"  or  "Poho-Essence,"  was  also  intro- 
duced into  Europe,  and  greatly  resembles  the  German  oil,  but  has  a 
slightly  bitter  taste.  It  is  said  to  be  distilled  from  Mentha  Javanica,"" 
a  variety  of  Mentha  arvensis,  Lin.  The  solidified  oil  is  probably  sepa- 
rated in  China  by  the  influence  of  cold  on  the  liquid  oil,  and  was 
recently  warmly  recommended  by  Duncan  as  an  antiseptic  equal  to 
thymol. — Pharm.  Centralh.^  Oct.  23,  1879,  p.  394. 
Pilocarpina,  as  a  hair  restorer,  was  recommended  by  Dr. 
Schmidt,  who  is  now  corroborated  by  Schueller.  The  remedy  is 
employed  by  injecting  hypodermically  about  0*005  to  O'Oi  pilocarpina 
muriate  twice  daily. — Pharm.  Centralh.^  Oct.  23,  1879,  p.  400. 
Balsamurn  salicylicD-benzoinatum,  or  benzoin  balsam,  is 
recommended  as  a  suitable,  cheap  substitute  for  Peru  balsam,  which  it 
greatly  resembles.  It  is  particularly  well  adapted  for  veterinary  prac- 
tice, and  is  applied  externally  directly  to  small  wounds  or  excoriations^ 
a  single  application  being  usually  suflicient  to  heal  the  wound  in  a  few 
days.    It  is  prepared  according  to  the  following  formula  : 
R    Benzoei  Slam,  contusa?,  .  .  .  loo'o 
Picis  nigrae,     .  .  .  .  15  0 
Acidi  salicylici,  ....  lo'o 
Balsami  gurjunici,  .  .  .  40*0 
Spiritus  vini  absoluti,  .  .  .  5oo"o 
