84  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  \^''-£S£yB!tm' 
New  tests  to  detect  vegetable  oils  in  lard. — If  one  gram  or  25 
drops  of  a  fixed  oil  be  dissolved  in  5  cc.  chloroform  in  a  test  tube, 
2  cc.  phospho-molybdic  acid  or  sodium  phosphomolybdate  solution 
and  a  few  drops  of  nitric  acid  added,  there  will  be  produced  upon 
agitation  an  emerald  green  mixture;  upon  standing,  two  layers 
will  separate,  the  lower  chloroform  solution  being  colorless,  and  the 
upper  layer  beautifully  green.  It  is  thought  that  the  reaction  is  due 
to  the  vegetable  oils  containing  minute  quantities  of  alkaloids  or 
glucosides  which  reduce  the  phosphomolybdic  acid.  The  color  is 
obtained  with  all  these  oils  if  they  have  not  been  chemically  treated 
to  remove  acidity  or  color;  in  such  cases  the  color  may  not  be 
developed  or  only  after  some  time.  If  the  acid  solution  be  super- 
saturated with  an  alkali  or  alkaline  carbonate,  the  green  color 
changes  to  a  blue,  the  intensity  of  which  corresponds  to  the  green 
color.  Mineral  and  animal  fats  (paraffin,  vaselin,  lard,  etc.)  except- 
ing cod-liver  oil,  will  not  give  the  green  color.  To  test  lard  for 
such  adulteration  one  gram  is  dissolved  in  chloroform  and  then 
proceeded  with  as  mentioned.  Another  test  for  fixed  oils  which  is 
serviceable  in  detecting  cotton-seed  oil  in  lard,  is  to  add  to  the  lard 
a  cold  saturated  solution  of  picric  acid  in  ether  and  allow  the 
solvent  to  slowly  evaporate  ;  pure  lard  will  then  show  a  lemon- 
yellow  color,  whereas,  admixed  with  cotton-seed  oil,  it  will  have  a 
brown-red  color;  pure  cotton-seed  or  other  fixed  oil  will  become 
brown.  Phospho-tungstic  acid  will  also  suffer  reduction  through 
the  fixed  oils,  especially  cotton-seed  oil  and  cod-liver  oil ;  in  this 
case  there  is  produced  a  violet  coloration  which  on  addition  of  excess 
of  alkali  (ammonia)  changes  to  a  beautiful  blue,  but  the  colorations 
with  this  reagent  are  not  as  permanent  as  with  phosphomolybdic 
acid. — P.  Welmans,  Pharm.  Ztg.,  1891,  798,  and  1892,  22. 
Salophen,  or  acetyl-p-amidosalol  is  a  synthetic  patented  product 
used  in  cases  of  acute  articular  rheumatism  in  doses  of  four  to  six 
grams  per  day.  It  forms  small,  thin  lamina,  odorless  and  tasteless; 
almost  insoluble  in  cold  water,  slightly  soluble  in  boiling  water, 
forming  a  neutral  solution;  more  soluble  in  warm  alcohol  and  ether; 
readily  soluble  in  solutions  of  alkaline  hydrates;  it  melts  at  187- 
1 88°  C.  and  contains  about  51  per  cent,  salicylic  acid.  It  is  made 
by  a  complicated  process  and  has  the  formula  C6H4  (OH)  COO  C6H4 
NHCOCHj— Dr.  F.  Goldmann,  Pharm.  Ztg.,  1891,  773. 
