Am  j\°iyj892arm'}  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  369 
the  addition  of  hydrocarbons  is  such  that  a  mixture  results  which 
floats  upon  water. — Pharm.  Centralhalle,  1892,  305. 
Solubility  of  sulphur  in  alcohol. — At  the  boiling  point  265  parts 
alcohol  will  dissolve  one  part  sulphur  ;  after  filtering  the  solution 
remains  clear,  unless  agitated,  for  at  least  four  hours,  after  which 
time  the  excess  of  sulphur  commences  to  separate,  this  being  com- 
plete in  about  30  hours;  3,306  parts  alcohol  at  ordinary  temperature 
will  then  contain  dissolved  only  one  part  sulphur. — Dr.  C.  Schier- 
holz,  Pharm.  Post,  1892,  573. 
Grindelia  robusta. — After  reviewing  the  various  analyses  pub- 
lished (Am.  Jour.  Phar.,  1888,433  and  440),  Dr,  A.  Schneegans 
records  results  obtained  in  examining  the  saponin  and  in  testing 
for  alkaloids.  Two  kilos  of  the  dry  drug,  finely  cut,  were  repeatedly 
boiled  with  water,  the  decoctions  mixed,  allowed  to  cool  and 
filtered  ;  the  filtrate  was  precipitated  with  an  excess  of  neutral  lead 
acetate,  the  precipitate  collected,  washed  with  a  dilute  lead  acetate 
solution  until  the  washings  ceased  to  give  a  precipitate  with  basic 
lead  acetate,  and  then  suspended  in  water,  decomposed  by  dilute 
sulphuric  acid  and  the  excess  of  this  at  once  neutralized  by  addition 
of  lead  carbonate  After  filtering,  the  liquid  evaporated,  left  a 
small  quantity  of  a  brown,  resinous  mass,  which  was  ^soluble  in 
great  part  in  boiling,  dilute  alcohol ;  the  addition  of  three  volumes 
of  chloroform  to  this  solution  caused  a  voluminous  precipitate  ; 
the  precipitation  was  made  complete  by  adding  ether  to  the  filtrate, 
and  the  precipitate  further  purified  by  solution  in  alcohol  and 
precipitation  with  ether.  Dried  over  sulphuric  acid  the  precipitate 
formed  a  yellowish  powder,  easily  soluble  in  water  and  dilute 
alcohol  but  almost  insoluble  in  absolute  alcohol  ;  the  aqueous 
solution  has  an  acid  reaction,  foams  upon  agitation,  and  reduces 
Fehling's  solution  after  boiling  with  acid ;  lead  acetate  forms  a 
yellow  precipitate  soluble  in  acetic  acid;  concentrated  sulphuric 
acid  dissolves  the  powder  with  reddish,  yellow  color,  which  upon 
heating  becomes  deep  red ;  ammonia,  nitric  and  hydrochloric  acid 
dissolve  it  with  a  yellow  color. 
The  filtrate  from  the  lead  acetate  precipitation  was  concentrated, 
filtered  and  precipitated  with  basic  lead  acetate,  the  precipitate 
being  washed  and  decomposed  as  above.  The  aqueous  solution  of 
the  precipitate  was  then  treated  with  neutral  lead  acetate  to  remove 
the  last  portions  of  the  substance  already  described,  the  filtrate 
