THESE preparations form a very pretty series of soluble manganese and iron salts. The citrates of manganese and of manganese and iron represent, of course, organic combinations of the respective metals. The manganese and iron salt contains about 7 per cent. of manganese and 14 per cent. of iron, and the manganese salt contains about 12 per cent. of manganese. We have by analysis confirmed these figures. The preparations exist in the form of crisp glistening scales which are readily soluble in

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... ter. The addition of ammonia darkens the solution of the salts but there is no precipitate produced. The therapeutical indications of these preparations are obvious and they offer a very advantageous means of administering manganese and iron. Ovumalt is not only a preparation in which fresh eggs are preserved but the preserving vehicle contains also according to our experiments an active (digestive) extract of malt. Our analysis assigns to ovumalt the following composition: moisture, 22-20 per cent. ; mineral matter, 1'30 per cent. ; proteid, 11'90 per cent. ; sugar, 59 60 per cent. ; and fat, 5'00 per cent. The proportion of fresh egg present is indicated by the amount of proteid and fat. As will be seen, the amount of egg present is not very high in relation to the amount of sugar. The compound, of course, contains ovolecithin and therefore phosphorus in organic combination which is valuable in disorders of the nervous system and in debility. We have also examined preparations containing respectively the whole egg, the yelk, and the white both in sweet and unsweetened form. They are quite satisfactory and highly nutrient articles. " FELIXIR." I (BOOTH'S DISTILLERY, LIMITED. 55, COW CROSS, LONDON, E.C.) This is a spirit which is described as having been doubly rectified and thoroughly matured in sherry casks. This description accords perfectly with the results of analysis which we have obtained in regard to the secondary products. They are as follows, recorded in grammes per hectolitre of alcohol present : absolute acidity reckoned in terms of acetic acid, 37-80 ; aldehyde, 4-20 ; furfural, 0-52 ; higher alcohols, 105-00 ; ether reckoned asiethyl acetate, 49-98. It will thus be recognised that this spirit contains far less secondary products in the shape of aldehydes, furfural, and higher alcohols than does malt whisky or spirit produced in the pot-still. Analysis further gave the following results: alcohol, by weight 43-00 per cent., by volume 50-57 per cent., equal to proof spirit, 88-62 per cent. ; extractives, 0-41 per cent. ; sugar, 0'25 per cent. ; and tartaric acid, 0-03 per cent. The presence of a notable amount of ethers and tartaric acid indicates storage in sherry casks. The spirit is very pure and well matured. It has an agreeable flavour which is decidedly like that of gin but the colour resembles that of pale sherry. , MA,TE TEA. (THE MATÉ TEA. COMPANY, 180 AND 181, FLEET-STREET, LONDON, E.C.) I According to our analysis the feature of this specimen of Paraguay tea is a quite small proportion of tannin as compared with ordinary tea, while the amount of oils yielded is relatively high. The results of analysis were as follows : moisture, 7-00 per cent. ; caffeine, 0'62 per cent. ; mineral matter, 6'4 per cent. ; tannin, 6'13 per cent. ; and oils and waxy matter, 3'12 per cent. Hot water extracted 34 40 per cent. of the leaf, of which 4 per cent. consisted of mineral matter. Mat6 tea affords a pleasant and refreshing beverage without the drawbacks of ordinary tea. It certainly seems better adapted for dyspeptics than is ordinary tea, whilst it contains the same stimulating principle caffeine. Mate tea, too, has hardly any astringent effect compared with ordinary tea. The flavour of Mate tea is pleasantly delicate. The leaf may be obtained either " broken " or in powder. EUCRYL PREPARATIONS. (EUCRYL, LIMITED, 9, RANGOON-STREET, LONDON, E.C.) The basis of these disinfectant preparations, unlike so many of this class, is pleasant. The bath eucryl preparation is particularly so, forming a very agreeable adjuvant to the bath and having a pleasant but slightly stimulating effect. Bath eucryl is a clear, pale-brown liquid with an alkaline reaction, forming with water an opalescent fluid. The eucryl fluid disinfectant is a similar preparation containing, however, in addition to eucalyptus and pine oils, coal-tar derivatives which make it better adapted for ordinary disinfectant purposes. "Eucryl" forms also the basis of an excellent toilet soap and tooth powder. " LACVITUM." (PRIDEAUX'S P[JRE CASEIN AND LIFE FOOD COMPANY, MOTCOMBE, DORSET.) This is a somewhat remarkable preparation since it is simply milk minus water and on adding a definite amount of hot water to it and stirring well a fluid is obtained presenting all the characteristics of milk and showing on analysis an identical composition even in regard to fat. In a word, it is a full cream milk powder with nothing added and only water carefully abstracted by evaporation. As natural milk contains nearly 90 per cent. of water the concentration in regard to nutrient value is of course considerable-an important fact when the difficulties and expense of transit of milk are considered. Further, the powder is not liable to decomposition and is sterile. Our analysis gave the following results: moisture, 5 34 per cent. ; mineral matter, 5' 96 per cent. ; milk sugar, 31' 26 per cent. ; milk fat, 29' 40 per cent. ; and proteid, 28' 04 per cent. This is the normal composition of milk of good quality, excluding water. It is obvious that lacvitum may have a number of very valuable applications in dietetics. Its nourishing value is, we need hardly point out, very high and it contains all classes of reparative material. In short, lacvitum is a complete food in concentrated form. RENINE NATURAL MINERAL WATER. (RENINE, LIMITED, 254A, HIGH HOLBORN, LONDON, E.C.) This water owes its name apparently to the fact that it has marked diuretic properties, due partly to the nitrate of potassium which it contains. The water is drawn from the springs at Reipertsweiler, a village in Alsace. According to our analysis the I I Renine contains 0'376 gramme per litre of mineral matter in solution. The amount of nitrate of potassium is approximately one half of the total mineral matter. The rest is made up of the alkaline chlorides and the carbonates of the alkaline earths. The water is stated to be of value as a diuretic and a mild laxative and has been used in the treatment of heart disease in French clinics. TELMA BISCUITS AND BREAKFAST FOOD. (TELMA, LIMITED, 57, FENCHURCH-STREET, LONDON, E.C.) We have already reported upon some of the " Telma " food preparations which have the merit of being rich in all classes of nutrient material. The proportion of proteid is excellent, as is that of fat, and the fact that the foods are malted renders them easy of assimilation. The breakfast food has an agreeable and appetising flavour. The proteids are to a large extent present in the soluble state. Telma biscuits are made both with and without swaetening material. We prefer