88  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals,  {^'"fICiS^"""' 
tkative  determination  of  the  acid. — Pharm,  Centralh,^  Dec.  4,  1879, 
p.  450. 
Alkargene,  or  Cacodylic  Acid.— AsH(C2H3)204  was  declared  to 
be  an  entirely  innocent  compound  by  its  discoverer,  Bunsen,  and  by 
others,  although  it  contains  so  much  arsenic.  Lebahn  contradicted 
their  statement,  and  is  now  corroborated  by  H.  Schulz,  whose  recent 
investigations  proved  that  the  acid,  both  when  taken  internally  and 
when  injected,  is  very  poisonous.  —  Ztschr.  d.  Allg.  Oest.  Jpoth.  Ver,^ 
Dec.  10,  1879,  p.  528,  fr.  Ber.  d.  Deutsch.  Chem.  Ges. 
Borocitrate  of  Magnesium  is  a  white  powder  having  an  acid  taste 
but  no  odor,  and  is  considered  by  Dr.  Koehler  a  very  valuable  thera- 
peutic agent  in  the  treatment  of  stone  and  gravel  in  the  bladder  and 
kidneys  and  for  bladder  catarrh.  It  is  usually  given  in  the  form  of  a 
mixture  of  magnesium  borocitriate  40  grams,  powdered  sugar  80  grams 
and  oil  of  lemon  i  drop,  a  dessert-spoonful  of  which  is  administered 
three  times  daily  in  half  a  tumblerful  of  wa.ter.— Pharm.  Post,  Dec. 
16,  1879,  P-  374'  A7/>i.  JVochenschr. 
Solvents  of  Gun  Cotton. — Bardy  enumerates  the  usual  mixture  of 
alcohol  and  ether,  acetone,  methylic  alcohol  and  glacial  acetic  acid. 
The  solving  power  of  the  mixture  of  alcohol  and  ether  is  too  well 
known  to  require  further  mention. 
Acetone  is  soluble  in  water  in  every  proportion,  and  is  ons  of  the  best 
solvents  of  the  cotton.  If  the  solution  is  poured  into  water,  the 
acetone  immediately  combines  with  the  latter,  while  the  cotton  is  pre- 
cipitated in  distinct  large  white  flakes,  which  can  be  readily  washed 
and  dried,  when  3  grams  occupy  the  space  of  almost  200  centimeters 
Methylic  alcohol  likewise  mixes  with  water  in  every  proportion  and 
dissolves  the  cotton  readily,  yielding  a  somewhat  cloud  y  solution,  which, 
if  poured  quickly  into  water,  precipitates  the  cotton  as  a  compact  gela- 
tinous mass  ;  if  poured  in  a  very  thin  stream  into  cold  water,  a  very 
vo-uminous  mass  results,  25  grams  of  which  occupy  the  space  of  2 
liters  ;  when  dried,  this  mass  resembles  horn  in  appearance,  is  semi- 
transparent  and  amber-colored,  and  dissolves  readily  in  the  mixture  of 
alcohol  and  ether.  ^ 
Glacial  acetic  acid  readily  dissolves  gun  cotton,  the  solution  possessing 
the  same  behavior  as  that  in  acetone  towards  water  ;  on  drying,  every 
trace  of  acetic  acid  is  volatilized. —  Phann.  Ztschr.  f.  RussL^  Nov.  i, 
1879,  p.  659,  f  r.  Polyt.  Notizbl. 
