AUTOMATIC STIRRING APPARATUS. 411 on the Burette-Float.-R. Benedikt recommends to apply the "mark inside of the float, which will prevent its being rubbed off or otherwise rendered indistinct. The marking is best done by inserting into the float a thin-walled tube bearing the mark; the inner tube must, of course, fit the outer tube closely.—Chemiker Zeitg., 1892, 217.— (Eberhardt's modification of Erdman's float, described in Proceedings 1891, xxxix., 273, appears to be more practical.--Rep.) Laboratory Shaker.-W. R. Dunstan and J. S. Dymond have devised the following laboratory shaker: It consists of a wooden tray, into which can be firmly fixed, by means of a sliding partition, a bottle or other vessel of any size up to that of a Winchester quart. This tray is supported underneath, near the front, by a rod which is capable of moving backward or forward on a pivot. At the back its supports are two flexible steel laths, one end of each being clamped to either side of the tray, the other end being FIG. 7. TO MOTOR Laboratory Shaker. firmly fitted in the baseboard of the machine. Motion is communicated by means of a crank and connecting rod. This rod can be attached to the crank at different distances from the axle, so that the extent of the excursions made by the truck may be varied. In order to avoid the necessity of altering the length of the cord which passes from the motor to the wheel, as a means for varying the speed, the wheel is made up of a number of wheels of different diameters, and the baseboard is provided with slots and thumb screws, by means of which it may be securely fixed to the bench at the required distance from the motor to make the driving belt taut. The shaker may be obtained from Messrs. Baird & Flatlock, Cross street, Hatton Garden, E. C., London.-Am. Drug., 1892, 163, from Pharm. Jour. Trans.. Shaking Apparatus.-O. Guessefeld figures and describes a new apparatus for this purpose, which may be seen in Am. Drug., Aug. 1891, 232, from Zeits. angew. Chem. Automatic Stirring Apparatus.-An ingenious and easily made automatic stirring apparatus is described and illustrated in "Bull. of Pharm.," 1891, 215. The motive power is furnished by water from the hydrant, which is allowed to fall upon a kind of over-shot wheel (made by fastening sheettin scoops to the circumference of a disk of wood), the axis of which is provided with a smaller grooved disk connected by a string with a grooved disk on the axis of the stirrer. The over-shot wheel is fixed over the sink. Centrifugal Machine.-W. Thoerner recommends for the use of chemists (for analytical and microscopical investigations) a very handy centrifuge, which is easily turned by hand, each turn of the crank making the centrifugal disk revolve 124 times, so that 6 to 7000 revolutions per minute can be obtained with ease. It is the "Victoria" centrifuge of Waston, Laidlaw & Co., in Glasgow. Such a machine would be quite useful in pharmaceutical laboratories.-Chem. Zeitg., 1892, 1201. Laboratory Supplies.-In the Journal of Analytic Chemistry for June will be found a paper by David H. Browne, giving valuable hints to beginners. about necessary and unnecessary apparatus, for which the reader is referred to the original or an abstract in American Druggist, 1891, 231. Retort Stand.--C. G. Moor has devised the following stand, the rings of which are fixed in a peculiar way, so that the heavier the weight the FIG 8, A Retort Stand. firmer becomes the grip upon the upright.-Am. Drug., 1891, 329, from Scient. Am. Suppl. Wash Bottle.-Buechner improves the well-known "Spritz," by making it entirely of enameled iron (or granite-ware). He prefers the Erlenmayer shape, which is much like the gas-fitters' alcohol lamp. Chem. Zeitg., xv., 916. GOLD AND SILVER CRUCIBLES. 413 Drug Mill.-One of the latest mills has several novel features: the chief one of which is the adjustment of the grinding plate. The axle carrying the pulley and grinding plate is loosely bolted to solid supports, and is double-jointed, permitting the lower half to which the grinding plate is attached to assume various angles of inclination corresponding to the varying thicknesses of fragments which are passed between the grinding surfaces. The hopper is kept in vibratory motion by the revolution of the axle. For illustration of the mill, reference must be had to American Druggist, 1891, 345. Glass Dishes-Graduated.-Meyerhoff recommends to provide the flatbottomed glass evaporating dishes with outside graduation, which will enable one to evaporate without trouble to a definite volume.-Chem. Zeitg., xv, 916. Refractometers.-F. W. Warrick gives descriptions of several refractometers used at present, accompanied with illustrations, mentioning especially Jean's oleorefractometer, Abbe's refractometer, and those of Bertrand, Dupre and Fery. He especially recommends the latter. Not being suitable for abstraction and too long for insertion, the readers are referred to Chem, and Druggist, April 1892, 553-555. Forceps-Extemporized.-A very handy pair of forceps, suitable for lifting microscopical cover glasses, etc., can quickly be made from three wooden toothpicks. Break about one inch from one of them, throwing away the remainder, dip one of the ends of the other picks into liquid. glue, place the short piece between the two ends (lengthwise), and wrap a thread or thin brass wire around that end.-National Druggist. Flasks and other Glass Vessels Coated with Copper.-H. N. Warren generates from a small hydrogen apparatus a stream of antimony hydride, and allows the flame of the same to impinge upon the cold surface of the article in question. A deposit of metallic antimony is at once established, upon which a surface of metallic copper may be deposited by the usual method. Chem. News, 1891, lxiv, 147. Gold or Silver Crucibles.-H. N. Warren communicates the following method which, of course, may be used for making other implements than crucibles. A porcelain crucible of convenient size is painted over (on the outside) with an ethereal solution of gun-cotton, and after drying applying a solution of either argentic nitrate or of auric chloride. While still moist, the crucible is suspended over a strong solution of sulphurous acid, which will give off sufficient gas to reduce the metals; when this is accomplished the crucible is connected to a battery of required strength, and coated further by using one of the usual depositing solutions. When the metallic crucible is sufficiently thick, the film of gun-cotton is destroyed by heating over the flame of a Bunsen burner, when the porcelain crucible can be dropped out. Chem. News, 1891, lxiv, 147. Platinum Crucibles.-H. N. Warren recommends to make them from a circular piece of platinum foil of the required size, fold it twice, the same as for a paper filter, and open it. It is as serviceable as a costly crucible, and after the operations have been performed it may be flattened out, and used as foil. Chem. News, 1891, lxiv, 146. Dropper.-Traube and Kattendidt have patented a dropper which, is stated to insure uniformity in the size of the drops. The illustration, which see in Chem. Zeitg., July 1891, 962, or Am. Drug., 1891, 301, is easily understood. Powder-Folder.-F. R. Guentherodt has devised a powder-folder which is exceedingly simple. It is a square block of wood with the faces hollowed or scalloped out so that the edges stand out boldly. Of course, this folder can not be adjusted. It can also be made of nickel-plated brass. -Pharm. Era, 1892. A Handy Pocket Vial.-A long, flat-oval vial of the capacity of four teaspoonfuls, just adapted for the upper vest pocket, has been in the market for some time. It is very convenient for business men and travelers to carry a sufficient supply of medicine to last them for a day or so, while absent from home.-Am. Drug., July 1891, 219. Ointment-Atomizers.-Burroughs, Wellcome & Co. have designed an atomizer for the application of antiseptic medicaments to the naso-pharyngeal mucous membranes; said medicaments to be dissolved in paraffin oil. Chem. Drug., Aug. 1891, 344. Show-Bottle.-Leon Fink has devised the following combination of colors for a six-color bottle. A tall, stoppered glass cylinder is measured, and equal volumes of the following liquids cautiously poured down the sides of the cylinder so as not to mix. The lowest layer is formed of chloroform colored green by maceration with grass; the next liquids are : castor oil colored red by alkanet; alcohol diluted with water to specific gravity of 0.935, uncolored; cod-liver oil; alcohol colored by anilin. purple or blue. The colors must not be too deep. By starting with mercury and finishing with benzin, the list of superimposed liquids may be increased and varied, avoiding, of course, to bring two liquids in contact which react upon one another.-Druggist's Bulletin. Mucilage Bottle.-A mucilage bottle which prevents evaporation, and overcharging of the brush, is suggested by a writer in the Bulletin of Pharmacy, and illustrated herewith (Fig. 1). A description is hardly requisite. We have to sugggest a modification of the brush handle, as shown in Fig. 2, and which consists in the use of a weighted thimble for a cap. Tinfoil or lead enough to fill about half of a cheap thimble is first packed about the handle, and the whole held in place by a layer of sealing wax. Such an arrangement will enable the gum brush to be laid on the table without the brush touching, the taper of the thimble raising it well above the horizontal. By filing a hole near the bottom of the glass tube, the mucilage CONVENIENCES IN THE PHARMACY. 415 will rise to that point only, even when the bottle is full, so that the brush will always take up the same amount. The relative size of the tube is better shown in Fig. 1. FIG. 9. Lead Wax Mucilage Bottle. Paste for Parchment Paper.-The best paste is a mixture of a warm 15 per cent. solution of gelatin with a 3 to 5 per cent. solution of potassium bichromate; to be kept protected from light. This paste has to be liquefied on a water-bath, and applied to the thoroughly damp parchmentpaper; dry as quickly as possible.-Pharm. Post, 1891, 689. Label Paste.-Frank recommends to use a ten per cent. solution of borax for making the paste, instead of so much water.-Rundschau, Prag., 1892, 276 Gummed Labels-Moistener.-Vomacka cuts a piece of thick felt in the shape of a broad spatula, and fastens it to a convenient handle with two strips of tin or sheet iron. This "felt-brush" needs wetting only twice a day, and is used as an ordinary paste brush on gummed labels.-Pharm. Post, 1891, 1042. B. PREPARATIONS. GENERAL SUBJECTS. Conveniences in the Pharmacy.-Clement B. Lowe calls attention to conveniences which he has introduced in his store, several of which deserve a place here: First he notices what is found in so few American stores, the necessity of a thorough indexing (cataloguing), which not only is of assistance to |