5^4  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  {AmNov.j892arm* 
stand  again  for  twelve  hours,  mixed  with  4  or  5  volumes  of  alcohol, 
sp.gr.  0-830,  strained  and  expressed  The  percolate  is  slightly  acid- 
ified with  dilute  sulphuric  acid,  filtered  and  distilled;  there  remains 
an  almost  pure  solution  of  the  alkaloidal  sulphates,  in  which  the 
alkaloids  are  determined,  and  the  preparation  is  finished  by  adding 
sugar  and  a  small  quantity  of  the  syrup  according  to  the  first  for- 
mula, through  which  sufficient  tannin  is  introduced  to  form  the 
more  reliable  tannate  of  the  alkaloids.  Of  a  syrup  containing  one  per 
cent,  of  the  alkaloidal  sulphates,  thirty  grams  constitutes  a  dose, 
best  administered  in  an  emulsion  of  thirty  gm.  castor  oil.  The  alka- 
loids are  determined  as  follows  :  The  solution  of  the  sulphates,  freed 
from  alcohol,  is  mixed  with  a  slight  excess  of  milk  of  lime;  after  an 
hour  300  cc.  petroleum  ether  (boiling  point  45 0  C.)  are  thoroughly 
agitated  with  the  mixture,  allowed  to  stand  and  the  petroleum  ether 
removed  as  completely  as  possible,  mixed  with  50  cc.  ^  sulphuric 
acid,  the  solvent  recovered  by  distillation,  used  again  in  the  extraction 
of  alkaloid,  etc.,  until  the  alkaloids  have  been  completely  extracted; 
after  the  removal  of  the  solvent  the  excess  of  acid  is  titrated  with^ 
potassium  hydrate.  Each  cc.  of  the  —  sulphuric  acid  neutralized  by 
the  alkaloids  corresponds  to  0  02  gm.  alkaloidal  sulphate.  The  alka- 
loids in  the  syrup  can  only  be  estimated  after  precipitating  the  sugar 
with  an  excess  of  alcohol. — E.  Aweng,  Journ  d.  Fharm.  Els-Lothr., 
1892,  209. 
Test  for  oil  of  sesame. — Baudouin's  test  with  sugar  and  hydro- 
chloric acid  is  best  carried  out  by  using  the  following  proportions  : 
0-1-0-2  gm.  sugar  are  dissolved  in  20  cc.  hydrochloric  acid  (specific 
gravity  I- 18),  10  cc.  of  the  oil  added  and  the  mixture  well  shaken; 
no  matter  whence  the  source  of  the  sesame  oil  the  acid  layer  imme- 
diately upon  separation  shows  a  permanent  deep  wine-red  coloration. 
In  the  test  it  is  essential  that  the  hydrochloric  acid  be  of  the  pre- 
scribed strength,  as  a  weaker  acid  will  not  give  the  test.  Olive, 
cotton-seed  and  arachis  oils  cause  no  red  coloration,  but  impart  to 
the  acid  after  a  time  a  dirty  yellowish-brown  color;  mixtures  of 
sesame  and  olive  impart  a  red  color,  the  intensity  of  which  is  pro- 
portionate  to  the  quantity  of  the  former  oil;  10  per  cent,  sesame 
oil  still  causes  a  pure  dark-rose  color.  Of  the  several  commercial 
olive  oils  only  the  Bari-oil,  as  announced  by  Villavecchia  and  Fabris, 
by  the  above  test  simulates  the  behavior  of  sesame  oil,  but  there 
are  such  points  of  difference  that  it  is  possible  to  distinguish 
