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PHARMACEUTICAL  GLEANINGS. 
GLEANINGS— PHARMACEUTICAL,    MEDICAL  AND  CHEMICAL. 
Purification  of  Honey. — According  to  A.  Hoffman,  (Pkarm. 
Jour.)  tannin  clarifies  honey  by  acting  chemically  on  a  gelatinous 
matter,  which  is  present  in  it.  Sometimes,  owing  to  a  deficiency 
of  this  matter,  honey  cannot  be  clarified  with  tannin,  when  the 
author  recommends  the  use  of  gelatin,  thus — 28  pounds  of  honey 
is  dissolved  in  twice  its  weight  of  water  and  heated  to  boiling, 
three  drachms  of  gelatin  dissolved  in  nine  drachms  of  water  is 
then  added,  and  lastly,  a  solution  of  one  drachm  of  tannin  in 
water  ;  the  mixture  is  well  stirred  and  kept  hot  for  about  an  hour. 
About  seven-eighths  may  be  decanted  and  the  remainder  filtered 
through  flannel ;  after  which,  the  clear  solution  is  evaporated. 
Decoloration  of  Tannin. — F.  Kummell  states  that  tannin  may 
be  decolorized,  if  its  solution  in  a  mixture  of  ether  and  alcohol 
is  passed  through  animal  charcoal.  In  preparing  tannin  by  per- 
colation, he  places  a  layer  of  recently  ignited  animal  charcoal 
immediately  above  the  cotton  plug.  The  product  thus  obtained 
has  scarcely  any  yellow  color,  and  the  solution  in  water,  ether  or 
alcohol  is  nearly  colorless.  Animal  charcoal  cannot  be  used 
when  the  tannin  is  extracted  with  ether  alone,  on  account  of  the 
viscid  character  of  the  solution,  nor  did  attempts  to  decolorize 
an  aqueous  solution  of  tannin  give  a  favorable  result. 
New  Hemostatic. — Dr.  Butler,  of  Ohio,  recommends  a  scruple 
of  tannic  acid  to  be  dissolved  in  an  ounce  of  elixir  of  vitriol,  and 
15  drops  to  be  given  as  a  dose — in  menorrhagia,  etc. 
Strawberry  Leaves  as  a  substitute  for  Tea. — M.  Kletzinsky,  of 
Vienna,  asserts  that  the  leaves  of  the  wild  strawberry,  [Fragaria 
vesca,)  gathered  after  the  ripening  of  the  fruit,  afford  an  infusion 
possessed  of  agreeable  properties.  The  leaves  may  be  dried  in 
the  sun  or  in  heated  pans.  The  infusion  is  greenish  and  slightly 
astringent,  and  somewhat  like  that  of  the  China  plant.  The 
infusion  is  miscible  with  milk  without  coagulation,  possesses  the 
same  diaphoretic  and  diuretic  properties  as  tea,  and  is  slightly 
excitant. — [Boston  Journal.) 
Phosphorus  in  Wine. — Dr.  Kletzinsky,  (  Virg.  Med.  $  Surg. 
Jour.)  believes  that  much  of  the  value  of  wine  as  a  therapeutical 
agent  is  owing  to  the  phosphorus  it  contains,  which  exerts  its 
power  in  the  reparation  of  the  nervous,  muscular  and  osseous 
