1 6  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  { ^"^'^^l^^i^T^' 
method:  Heat  a  weighed  portion  of  the  contused  or  coarsely- powdered 
plant  twice  successively  for  three  hours  on  a  water-hath  with  90  per 
cent,  alcohol,  previously  acidulated  with  muriatic  acid,  express,  wash 
with  alcohol  of  the  same  strength,  unite  the  alcoholic  liquids,  distil  ofF 
about  two  thirds,  filter  the  cooled  residue,  wash  the  filter  with  alcohol, 
evaporate  the  filtrate  on  a  water-bath  to  the  consistence  of  an  extract, 
heat  the  residue  with  water  equal  to  double  the  weight  of  the  substance 
examined,  and  containing  a  little  sulphuric  acid;  allow  to  cool,  filter^ 
mix  the  filtrate  with  three  times  its  bulk  of  alum  solution  .saturated  at 
the  ordinary  temperature,  heat,  add  ammonia  in  slight  excess,  evaporate 
the  whole  on  a  water-bath,  powder  the  residue,  and  then  treat  it  suc- 
cessively with  ether,  chloroform,  amylic-alcohol,  and  finally  with  90 
per  cent,  alcohol,  evaporating  each  extraction  and  drying  the  residues. 
Thus  the  total  quantity  of  alkaloids  is  not  only  extracted  in  a  pure 
state,  but  the  different  alkaloids  sometimes  contained  in  the  same  plant 
being  soluble  respectively  in  the  different  solvents,  are  obtained  separate, 
and  may  usually  be  distinguished  by  their  different  solubilities. — Pharm, 
Ztschr.  f.  RussL^  Sept.  15,  1879,  p.  545. 
Detection  of  Free  Acids. — Donath  adds  to  the  substance  in  aque- 
ous solution  a  few  drops  of  potassium  iodide  and  potassium  dichromate, 
and  then  several  cubic  centimeters  of  carbon  bisulphide,  when  the 
latter  will  turn  violet  if  free  acid  is  present. 
Free  sulphuric  acid  in  vinegar  is  ascertained,  by  the  same  author,  by 
boiling  20  cc.  of  vinegar  with  9*5  grams  of  lead  chromate  for  i  minute  ; 
filtering,  adding  to  the  filtrate,  after  cooling,  several  grains  potassium 
iodide,  and  then  shaking  with  carbon  bisulphide,  which  will  be  colored 
violet  if  free  sulphuric  acid  be  present  in  the  vinegar.  This  test  is 
sufficiently  accurate  to  detect  the  presence  of  O'l  per  cent,  of  this  acid. 
— Phann.  Centralh.^  Sept.  11,  1879,  P-  34^5  from  Po/yt.  Journ. 
New  substitute  for  isinglass,  gelatin  and  glue  is  made  by  C.  A. 
Sahlstroem,  at  Stockholm,  by  first  thoroughly  soaking  fishes,  or  parts 
of  fishes,  in  fresh  water,  and  then  for  three  or  four  hours  in  a  solution 
of  about  85  grams  of  chlorinated  lime  in  25  or  30  liters  of  water  ; 
they  are  now  washed,  treated  for  30  or  40  minutes  with  a  solution  of 
about  5  grams  of  potassium  permanganate  in  25  or  30  liters  of  water, 
and  exposed  to  the  influence  either  of  nitrous  acid  vapors,  produced 
from  300  or  400  grams  of  nitric  acid  for  every  40  kilograms  of  raw 
