AmD^'j8»arm"}  Gleanings  from  the  German  Journals.  613 
Borneol  acetate;  a.  constituent  of  the  oils  of  Abies  sibirica  and  A 
pectinata.  These  oils  yield  fractions,  all  (from  the  former  oil 
amounting  to  25  per  cent.)  soluble  at  1 7°  C.  in  3-6  volumes  of  70 
per  cent,  alcohol  and  having  the  sp.  gr.  of  0-979  at  200  C,  the 
saponification  equivalent  267-5  anc*  tne  boiling  point  210-2200  C. 
De  rived  of  water  this  fraction  crystallizes ;  the  crystals  melt 
between  27-280  C.  and  boil  at  2100  C;  in  alcoholic  solution  they 
are  laevogyre.  By  saponification  of  these  crystals  both  borneol  (the 
laevogyre  variety)  and  acetic  acid  were  identified.  As  no  other 
ester  is  present  in  this  oil,  it  offers  the  best  material  for  making 
laevogyre  borneol.  A  qualitative  test  proved  the  presence  of  the 
same  ester  in  A.  pectinata.  The  oil  of  Pinns  canadensis  reacting 
very  much  like  the  above  oils,  probably  contains  this  same  constit- 
uents.— E.  Hirschsohn,  Pharm.  Ztschr.  f.  Russl.,  1892,  593. 
Detection  of  resin  as  an  adulterant  of  dammar. — The  test  depends 
upon  the  property  of  resin  to  dissolve  readily  in  water  of  ammonia 
and  upon  the  addition  of  acetic  acid  to  reprecipitate  ;  powdered 
dammar  agitated  with  water  of  ammonia  gives  a  yellow  or  red 
filtrate,  which,  with  acetic  acid,  remains  clear  or  becomes  only 
slightly  opalescent.  The  ammoniacal  filtrate  (2  gm.  to  20  cc.) 
acidified  with  acetic  acid  gives  from  a  mixture  containing  5  per 
cent,  resin  a  separation  of  some  floccules ;  10  per  cent,  resin  yielded 
a  heavy  separation ;  20  per  cent,  resin  caused  the  test  to  form  a 
gelatinous  mass  so  that  it  could  not  be  filtered. — E.  Hirschsohn, 
Pharm.  Ztschr.  f  Russl.,  1892,  609. 
Recently  powdered  metallic  arsenic  which,  in  the  process  of  powder- 
ing, had  been  moistened  with  water  to  prevent  dusting,  is  recorded 
by  E.  Hirschsohn  as  capable  of  spontaneous  combustion.  A  quantity 
of  powdered  arsenic  in  a  double  paper  bag  had  been  received  late  in 
the  evening,  and  set  aside  over  night  in  a  basket  containing  other 
articles  packed  in  straw  and  sawdust.  The  next  morning,  upon 
opening  the  store,  the  peculiar  garhc-like  odor  attracted  attention 
to  the  basket  containing  the  powdered  arsenic ;  an  exam- 
nation  disclosed  that  the  arsenic  had  agglutinated  to  a  solid,  glow- 
ing mass ;  that  the  paper  containers  had  been  charred,  and  that  a 
portion  of  the  straw  was  scorched  ;  a  number  of  bottles  in  the  basket 
had  also  burst,  owing  to  the  high  heat,  and  upon  the  charred  paper 
bag  were  sublimed  some  beautiful  crystals  of  arsenious  oxide.  A  fire, 
