druggists' shops, and replaces the common juniper berry, which grows very sparsely in a few islands of the Grecian archipelago. The Cypress juniper was called Arkeftos and Arneudos by the ancients. Equally rare in Greece is the

Juniperus Sabina, whose place is supplied in the drug shops by the leaves of Thuja articulata. From the massy roots of this tree furni ture used to be made.-Chem, and Drug., July, 1881, p. 293.

Canada Balsam-Early History.-Professor Flückiger, referring to the notice of Canada balsam in Boucher's "Histoire de la Nouvelle France," dated October 8th, 1663, to which his attention was drawn by Mr. William Saunders, of London, Ontario, communicates the result of further researches on the early history of this drug, from which it appears that Marc Lescarbot, who visited Canada in 1606 and wrote, in 1612, a "Histoire de la Nouvelle France," etc., had also noticed its production and described its properties.-See Am. Jour. Phar., December, 1881, pp. 593, 594.

Spruce Gum-Source.-In view of the fact that books of reference in ordinary use are silent on the subject of " spruce-gum," and that "Appleton's Cyclopædia" states it to be the exudation of Abies canadensis, Professor E. L. Patch submitted the question of its source to Professor Gray, of Harvard University, who replied that Abies canadensis does not yield spruce-gum. He referred the query, however, to another person, who replied that " Abies nigra, commonly called black or double spruce, is the tree from which such large quantities of gum are taken. Abies alba also furnishes gum, but of far less quantity, though much superior in quality." Subsequently Professor Patch received from New Hampshire specimens of the bark with adherent gum, and specimens of the foliage of the tree furnishing them, which. confirmed the above statement.-New Rem., January, 1882, p. 23.

B. ANIMAL DRUGS.

Sponge-Cultivation -A number of dealers in New York are exhibiting sponges that have been grown from cuttings made by the method of Professor Oscar Schmidt, of Gratz. Small fragments cut from the parent sponge under water, and fixed on a sandy bottom by means of skewers, at once commenced to grow. Three years is said to be a sufficient time for the production of marketable sponges. In one experiment abroad, 4000 sponges were raised at a total cost of $50, and the experiment is being repeated successfully at Pine Key on the coast of Florida. One of the dealers referred to shows a sponge thus grown which measures 7 x 8 inches in diameter, and is of excellent shape and quality. This industry bids fair to become a profitable one in suitable

localities, and is worthy of attention.-New Rem., November, 1881, p.

321.

Leeches-New Method of Keeping.-Mr. Adolf G. Vogeler recommends the following method practiced in his establishment: Into the small opening of a good-sized unglazed flower-pot is inserted a cork, into which three longitudinal grooves have been cut. This pot, filled with peat, containing the leeches, and tied over with a piece of drilling, stands in an unglazed iron kettle. About once a month this kettle is filled with water, no further attention being required. The peat will always retain a proper degree of moisture, no more water being absorbed than what evaporates from the surface. A leech being wanted, the contents are dumped on a sheet of paper. Good peat not being readily obtainable in a large city, the author, about once a year, boils what he has with an extra addition of water and some permanganate of potassium, 5 to 10 grains to the pound, whereby the earth becomes perfectly sweet again.-The Pharmacist, July, 1881, p. 244.

Leeches-Preservation.-Raymann adds to the water in which leeches are kept an occasional pinch of fine river sand, mixed with an equal part of fine iron filings. By this means the leeches are kept healthy, and the water does not require to be changed frequently.-Chem. Jour., June 16th, 1882, p. 370; from Phar. Zeitschr. f. Russl., 1882.

Cod-liver Oil-Presence of Phosphorus and Iodine, and Inquiry into the Value of the Oil now Produced.-In view of the fact that among the substances used in medicine the oils in general, and particularly cod-liver oil, have most markedly experienced the influence of progress in recent years, the inquiry has suggested itself to Mr. P. Carles whether cod-liver oils now contain the same medicinal principles, or whether the proportions of these have not varied from the disgusting liquids that were sold in pharmacies under that name twenty years ago. As the result of his very elaborate researches, Mr. Carles has come to the following conclusions:

That through improvements in the method of extracting oil from cod's livers the old crude oils have been replaced by improved slightly colored clear oils, having an odor and taste which are not disagreeable, and which can be borne by stomachs that tolerate sardines, anchovies, etc.

That, of these different oils, the modern natural pale oils are in every respect to be preferred to the brown empyreumatic oils.

That, independently of their physical and organoleptic properties, the golden-green virgin oils ought to be esteemed the best, as they are lightest for the stomach, having scarcely any acidity and no acridity. That all kinds of cod-liver oil contain infinitesimal quantities of iodine, doubtful traces of bromine, and small quantities of combined

phosphorus, so that it is difficult to see in any of these elements the cause of the reconstituent tonic action of the oil.

That the active principle appears to reside nearly entirely in the peculiar fatty body itself which is present unaltered in virgin oils. Finally, that these modern virgin oils constitute a product essentially assimilable, and that their association with another medicine does not injure its tolerance or therapeutic action.-Phar. Jour. Trans., January 21, 1882, p. 604-606; from Répertoire, January, 1882.

Cod-liver Oil-Percentage of Iodine.-It being stated in "Garod's Materia Medica," that cod-liver oil contains 0.05 per cent. of iodine, Mr. M. Mitchell Bird has made some experiments to determine the accuracy of this statement. After numerous trials he found the starch test to be the most suitable. Samples of the oil (5000 grains) were saponified with alcoholic potash; the soap was then incinerated in crucibles, the residue lixiviated, the lixivium concentrated, acidulated with sulphuric acid, and the sulphate of potash removed by filtration. The filtrate (and washings) was then treated with solution of nitrite of potassium and an excess of starch-liquor, and the intensity of color compared with that obtained in solutions of iodide of potassium, of known strengths, under the same conditions. Six samples of oil were then examined, with the following results:

I. Pale Norwegian oil, very little sensitive to cold, pleasant flavor, contained 0.21 parts of iodine in 10,000 = 0.0021 per cent.

II. Pale Norwegian oil of ordinary quality, flavor not quite so delicate as the preceding, and more sensitive to cold, contained 0.18 parts of iodine in 10.000 = 0.0018 per cent.

III. Light-brown Norwegian oil, flavor more decided and less pleasant than the preceding, contained 0.16 part of iodine in 10,000 = 0.0016 per cent.

IV. Light-brown oil, said to be Norwegian, contained 0.16 part of iodine in 10,000 = 0.0016 per cent.

V. Pale Newfoundland oil, very free from smell and flavor, but very sensitive to cold, contained 0.12 part of iodine in 10,000 0.0012 per cent. VI. Light-brown Newfoundland oil, of strong flavor, contained 0.14 part of iodine in 10,000 0.0014 per cent.

From these experiments it seems probable that iodine is a constant constituent of cod-liver oil, but that it is not present in quantity at all approaching to 0.05 per cent, as has been stated. It is interesting also to note that the amount of iodine yielded by these oils is in inverse proportion to their sensitiveness to cold.-Phar. Jour. Trans., February 4th, 1882, p. 641-642.

Muskrat Musk-Value as a Perfume.-Mr. Robert F. Fairthorne finds that the musk-pods from the common muskrat, which are obtainable at a small cost, answer a good purpose as a substitute for true

musk in perfumery. If 10 or 12 pairs are cut up with scissors into small pieces, and, with the addition of 2 drachms of slaked lime, allowed to macerate for a week or two in a pint of alcohol, a very fragrant tincture is obtained, which he finds at least three times as strong as the tincture or extract of musk generally employed, and is suitable for the most delicate-flavored cologne.-Am. Jour. Phar., August, 1881, p. 397.

INORGANIC CHEMISTRY.

OXYGEN.

Oxygen-Preparation from Common Bleaching Powder.-The following simple and inexpensive apparatus for the preparation of oxygen

from bleaching-powder is described in "Scientific American," and, as reproduced in "New Remedies" (August, 1882, p. 233), is shown by Fig. 57.

The retort A is made of common sheet-iron, doubly lapped and riveted. The short neck, B, is slightly flaring, so as to admit of the luting in of a piece of inch steam-pipe. This pipe, C, is connected by a screw-cap or elbow with a longer piece of similar pipe, bent somewhat and extending downwards two or three inches below the bottom of the retort, where it is joined by a U cap at its lower end, with a third piece of iron pipe extending upward above the bottom line of the retort. A fourth piece of pipe is connected with this latter, at right angles for convenience of attachment to condenser and washbottle. The space from D to E in the tube is loosely filled with fragments of quicklime, each somewhat larger than a pea. Two or three pounds of the chlorinated lime having been put into the retort, the pipe B is loosely inserted in the neck and the joint made tight with a stiff luting of clay or plaster of Paris.

The retort is then placed on a charcoal or other moderate fire, the portion of the pipe containing the lime being in the fire. Connection is made with the condenser and wash-bottle as soon as steam begins to come over, and, as soon as the air in the apparatus has been displaced, connection is made by rubber tubing with the gas-bag or reservoir. The moisture in the heated substance first passes off, together with some gaseous matter, the latter being decomposed by the lime; then, as the temperature rises and approaches low redness, oxygen is rapidly disengaged, and, if the fire is good, ten minutes' heating will suffice to exhaust the charge.

The stopcock at bag or reservoir having been closed, the retort may be slipped out, another similar one, already charged, put in its place, and the operation repeated if desired.

The chloride of lime should not be too moist when placed in the retort, or the charge greater than will loosely cover the bottom of the vessel to a depth of one and one-half inches. If a sudden pressure—

greater than the delivery-pipe can relieve-is developed in the retort, the luted joint acts as a safety-valve.

The cost of oxygen from bleaching-powder is only about three and one-quarter cents per cubic foot, as compared with nine cents where chlorate of potassium is used, and the gas, after passing through the wash-bottle, is perfectly odorless and nearly pure. An average sample of bleaching-powder (fresh) contains at least twenty-six per cent. of calcium hypochlorite. This substance, when heated to the boiling-point of water, splits up into calcium chloride and calcium chlorate. If the heat is increased to low redness the chlorate is decomposed into calcium chloride and oxygen. But, inasmuch as during the elevation of temperature some hypochlorous acid is apt to pass off, the abovedescribed U tube, filled with lime, is interposed, whereby the gaseous