AmMay?iF92arm-}  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  23$ 
Adulterated  cod  liver  oiL — J.  Bienert  reports  a  case  of  adultera- 
tion in  which  vaselin  oil  (liquid  paraffin)  was  present  to  the  extent 
of  95  per  cent.;  the  5  per  cent,  cod  liver  oil  was  of  inferior  quality. 
— Pharm.  Ztsch.f.  Russl '.,  1892,  204. 
The  action  of  a  concentrated  sodium  salicylate  solution  (1  -|-  i)  upon 
phenols  and  phenol  derivatives  has  been  investigated  by  A.  Conrady. 
Fluid  extract  of  case ar a  sagrada  will  mix  clear  with  this  solution, 
and  can  then  be  diluted  with  water  in  all  proportions.  Carbolic  acid 
will  also  readily  dissolve  in  it,  and  is  then  miscible  with  water  in  all 
proportions;  a  solution  containing  80  per  cent,  carbolic  acid  no 
longer  acts  as  a  caustic  if  placed  upon  the  skin.  Creasote  will 
also  dissolve  in  any  proportion  ;  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  creasote 
and  sodium  salicylate  solution  has  a  syrupy  consistence  and  can  be 
made  into  a  good  pill  mass  by  addition  of  powdered  glycyrrhiza ; 
these  pills  have  the  advantage  that  they  remain  soft  for  a  long  time 
and  that  the  creasote  cannot  be  pressed  out  mechanically.  Menthol, 
thymol,  etc.,  show  similar  solubility  ;  the  volatile  oils  also  are  soluble 
in  this  solution,  but  owing  to  their  variable  chemical  composition 
not  in  all  proportions.  Experiments  are  being  made  to  see  if  this 
behavior  will  allow  of  a  method  for  the  examination  of  essential  oils. 
— Pharm.  Ztg.,  1892,  180. 
The  action  of  ferrous  iodide  upon  starch  and  filtering  paper. — The 
purplish  red  coloration  which  a  solution  of  ferrous  iodide  assumes 
upon  limited  exposure  is  traceable  to  the  presence  of  starch  in  the 
filtering  paper ;  neither  cellulose  nor  starch  are  colored  by  a  solu- 
tion, of  ferrous  iodide,  but  the  presence  of  atmospheric  oxygen  liber- 
ates iodine,  and  this  then  forms  with  the  starch  a  deep  red  com- 
pound decomposable  by  water  into  blue  iodide  of  starch.  The 
starch  in  the  paper  is  due  in  most  cases  to  the  presence  of  unruptured 
cells ;  in  occasional  cases  to  imperfect  treatment  with  alkali  and 
water  since  the  starch  granules  are  not  found  in  the  original  cells,, 
but  loosely  attached  to  the  fibres.  The  solution  of  ferrous  iodide 
during  filtration  must  dissolve  the  starch  and  later  upon  exposure 
there  is  produced  the  deep  red  coloration. — Th.  Salzer,  Client.  Ztg.y 
1892,  421. 
Iclitliyol,  in  3  to  10  per  cent,  solutions,  has  been  used  by  Dr.  Pellegrini 
(Brit.  Med.  Jour.,  1891)  locally  in  the  pustular  stage  of  the  eruption  in  small- 
pox ;  suppuration  was  checked,  drying,  up.  was  hastened,  and  pitting  was. 
prevented. 
