194  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  {^'l^l'Jm™' 
Assay  of  Coffee. — According  to  Herlant  (Monit.  de  la  Pharm., 
Feb.  1892,  1028),  the  caffeine  can  be  estimated  in  coffee,  as  follows : 
The  finely  powdered  coffee  is  mixed  with  slaked  lime,  and  this  mix- 
ture extracted  with  a  5  per  cent,  solution  of  sodium  benzoate  which 
dissolves  the  caffeine.  The  liquid  is  made  alkaline  with  sodium 
carbonate  and  filtered.  The  filtrate  is  then  extracted  with  a  suffi- 
cient quantity  of  chloroform,  which  on  evaporation  yields  the 
caffeine  in  the  form  of  white  silky  crystals. 
Natural  oil  of  bitter  almond. — For  distinguishing  an  artificial 
from  a  natural  oil  it  is  proposed  by  Wender  to  heat  the  oil  with  1 
cc.  of  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  alcohol  and  sulphuric  acid  and 
two  drops  of  an  aqueous  solution  {y2  per  cent.)  of  furfurol.  The 
natural  oil  gives  a  brownish  violet  color  increasing  in  intensity  for 
24  hours.  The  artificial  oil  assumes  a  rose  color,  gradually  changing 
to  pure  violet.  Unfortunately  mixtures  of  the  two  oils  cannot  be 
distinguished  by  this  reaction. — Boll.  farm.y  Nov,  1891,  680, 
through  Journ.  de  Pliarm.  d'Anvers,  1892,  23. 
Erythrophloeine. — The  alkaloid  of  Erythrophlceum  guineense, 
according  to  Prof.  See,  [La  Med.  moderne),  is  about  as  poisonous  as 
the  amorphous  digitalin  of  Homolle  and  Quevenne,  and  acts  both 
upon  the  heart  and  lungs.  The  hydrochloride  crystallizes  and  is 
soluble  in  water.  The  medicinal  dose,  1-5  to  2-5  mgm.  (-^  to 
grain),  does  not  produce  any  digestive  disturbance,  and  modifies 
but  slightly  the  condition  of  the  heart,  but  renders  respiration 
more  easy. 
Camphorated  Salol  has  been  used  with  favorable  results  by  Dr. 
Pegon  {Rev.  Therapy  in  suppuration  of  the  ear.  It  is  prepared  by 
fusing  at  a  moderate  heat  equal  parts  of  salol  and  camphor,  filtering 
if  necessary,  and  preserving  the  product  in  a  yellow  well-stoppered 
glass  bottle.  At  ordinary  temperatures  it  forms  a  thick  colorless 
liquid,  which  is  decomposed  on  exposure  to  light  or  air,  is  insoluble 
in  water,  but  dissolves  in  ether,  chloroform  or  oil.  It  is  applied 
by  means  of  a  small  pledget  of  cotton.  See  also  Amer.  Jour.  Phar., 
1889,  p.  136,  and  i89i,p.  54. 
Decomposition  of  iodoform  in  collodion. — Etievant  ascertained 
(Rep.  de  Phar.,  Jan.  10,  1892)  that  50  gm.  of  a  freshly  prepared  10 
per  cent,  solution  of  iodoform  in  collodion,  exposed  to  the  sunlight, 
after  24  hours  may  contain  0-40  gm.  free  iodine,  while  the  amount 
