470  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals,  { '^'^sept^'iso!'''"' 
gardening  which  is  obtained  by  extracting  with  hot  alcohol  and  putting 
the  solution  into  a  cool  place,  when  it  crystallizes,  is  purified,  and  then 
consists  of  dark  yellow,  brilliant  crystals,  melting  at  163  to  164°  and 
having  the  composition  Q.^^^^^, — Ztschr.  d.  Allg,  Oest.  Apoth.  Ver.^ 
April  10,  1880,  p.  167,  from  Annal.  d.  Chem. 
An  efficacious  Ergotin  for  hypodermic  use  was  obtained  by 
Finzelberg  by  powdering  ergot  freshly,  removing  the  fatty  substance 
by  petroleum  ether,  then  extracting  with  warm  water  (50  to  6o°C.), 
concentrating  the  extraction  at  a  very  moderate  temperature,  separating 
the  gummy  portion  with  alcohol,  separating  the  liquid  by  filtration, 
concentrating  to  the  consistence  of  a  thin  mellago  and  transferring  to 
a  dialyser.  The  water  is  renewed  several  days  in  succession,  and  the 
extract,  which  has  become  a  thinner  liquid  by  absorbing  water,  and 
•  from  which  a  considerable  sediment  has  collected  on  the  parchment- 
paper,  is  filtered  and  then  evaporated  to  the  consistence  of  a  soft 
extract,  when  it  answers  all  requirements  of  physicians. — Pharm, 
Centralh.^  April  8,  1880,  p.  123. 
Thenardid,  anhydrous  sodium  sulphate,  was  formerly  only  found 
in  the  mountains  of  Espartinas,  near  Aranjuez,  in  Spain,  and  in  the 
desert  Atacama,  in  Chili,  but  recently  large  quantities  of  it  were  also 
found  in  the  vicinity  of  Barnaul  (Gov.  Tomsk,  Siberia),  and  are  used 
for  preparing  soda,  being  :he  best  material  in  the  world  for  this  pur- 
pose, consisting,  according  to  Dr.  Biel's  analysis,  of  sodium  sulphate 
99*67  per  cent.,  sodium  chloride  o*o6i8  per  cent.,  water  0*2298  per 
cent,  and  insoluble  (in  water)  matter  0"035  per  cent.  It  is  found  in 
handsome  rhombic,  translucent  crystals,  which  become  cloudy  by 
absorbing  moisture  when  exposed  to  the  air. — Pharm.  Ztschr.  f, 
RussL^  Feb.  15,  1880,  p.  104. 
An  Extraordinary  Fine  and  Dry  Carbolic  Dusting  Powder, 
unaltered  by  age,  containing  2f  to  3  per  cent,  carbolic  acid,  used  for 
dusting  directly  on  open  sores  and  ulcers  by  means  of  bellows,  the  tube 
of  which  terminates  in  a  very  fine  wire  sieve,  through  which  the  powder 
is  forced,  is  made  by  Prof.  Bruns  by  melting  together  at  a  moderate 
heat  6o*0  colophony  and  15*0  stearin,  allowing  the  mixture  to  cool 
partially,  adding  while  still  liquid  25*0  carbolic  acid  and  reducing  the 
whole  mixture  into  a  uniform  powder  by  triturating  carefully  with  700*0 
to  800*0  precipitated  calcium  carbonate.  When  this  powder  is  to  be 
used  for  preparing  a  dry  carbolic  bandage,  a  mixture  of  40  parts  car- 
bolic acid,  45  parts  colophony  and  15  parts  stearin  is  triturated  into  a 
