Am:xov.r;il>92arm-}  Abstracts  from  the  French  Journals.  5^9 
precipitation  with  dilute  hydrochloric  acid. — Apotheker  Ztg.,  1892, 
469. 
Gelatinized  infusion  of  digitalis. — Mention  has  been  made  in  the 
Am.  Journ.  of  Pharm.,  1892, 406  and  458,  that  the  gelatinizing  of  the 
infusion  is  due  to  the  action  of  a  minute  organism,  Micrococcus 
gelatinogenus,  upon  cane  sugar  ;  in  a  recent  paper  upon  the  pro- 
ducts  of  the  alteration  of  cane  sugar  Dr.  W.  Braeutigam  announces 
that  there  are  produced  dextran,  dextrose  and  l?evulose.  The  last 
is  used  as  food  by  the  organism,  while  to  the  formation  of  the  first 
is  due  the  gelatinizing.  Dextran  may  be  separated  from  the 
other  products  by  precipitation  with  alcohol ;  it  forms  snow-white 
flakes,  on  a  water-bath  drying  to  a  greenish-white,  amorphous, 
horny  mass,  soluble  in  water.  The  aqueous  solution  with  Fehling's 
solution  gave  a  pale  blue,  slimy  precipitate,  without  reducing  the 
solution  ;  precipitated  with  subacetate  but  not  with  acetate  of  lead  ; 
by  heating  with  dilute  acids  dextrose  was  produced  quantitatively. 
The  solution  has  an  insipid  taste,  and  is  strongly  dextrogyre. — 
Pharm.  Centralhalle,  1892,  534. 
ABSTRACTS  FROM  THE  FRENCH  JOURNALS. 
Translated  for  The  American  Journal  of  Pharmacy. 
Oil  of  geranium  in  oil  of  rose. — Dr.  Panajotow  [Bulletin  de  la 
Societe  chim.,  May  20,  1892)  gives  the  following  te^ts  for  the  detec- 
tion of  oil  of  geranium  in  oil  of  rose.  (1)  To  2  cc.  of  bisulphite  of 
rosaniline,  obtained  by  decolorizing  fuchsine  with  sulphurous  acid, 
are  added  two  or  three  drops  of  the  oil.  If  the  oil  is  pure  it  slowly 
(within  twenty-four  hours)  assumes  a  red  color;  should  it,  however, 
contain  oil  of  geranium  it  is  rapidly  (in  about  two  hours)  colored 
blue  ;  (2)  Concentrated  sulphuric  acid  yields  with  oil  of  geranium  a 
brown  mass  which  is  not  entirely  dissolved  by  95  per  cent,  alcohol, 
the  solution  being  red  and  the  flocculent  particles  yeJow.  Oil  of 
rose  treated  in  like  manner  yields  a  mass  which  is  entirely  soluble 
in  alcohol,  the  solution  being  colorless. 
Oil  of  santahvood. — E.  Mesnard  ascertained  {Jour,  de  Pilar,  et  de 
Chim.,  August  15,  1892)  that  pure  oil  of  santahvood,  on  being 
mixed  with  sulphuric  acid,  yields  a  viscous  liquid,  which  becomes 
pasty  and  rapidly  solidifies,  the  mass  being  of  a  light  grayish-blue 
color  and  adhering  firmly  to  the  glass.    If,  however,  adulterated 
