190 



Miscellanies. 



ate of soda, (sal soda) and 4.1 subcarbonate of ammonia are mixed 

 together in a powder and put in a still, which heated in water or a 

 vapor bath, carries off the vapors of ammonia and all the carbonic acid 

 attaches itself to the soda, and we obtain 8.4 parts of beautiful white 

 and pure bicarbonate of soda ; the ammonia so obtained is perfectly 

 pure, and strong; but if it is not intended to be made use of, the 

 above mixture may be made, covered with paper, and left for a few 

 days exposed to the heat of a room, and the product will likewise 

 be as good. 



46. 



Ver atria 



Since Ve- 



ratria has since the last year, become so important a medicine, hav- 

 ing been recommended first by Dr. Trumbull, and now fairly ranks 

 among the most salutary ingredients in materia medica, it must nat- 

 urally be of great interest to the pharmaceutical and medical world, 

 to obtain so valuable a substance in its perfect purity, that is, very 

 white without being adulterated with foreign articles ; the author of 

 these lines, takes this opportunity of comparing the methods hith- 

 erto pursued for the preparation, with the one lately recommenced 

 by the pharmaceutist Simon of Berlin. 



Veratria was dicovered in 1819 by Pelletier and Caventou, and at 

 the same time by Meissner, in several plants of the genus Veratrum, 

 and particularly in the root of Veratrum album or white hellebore, 

 and in the seed of Veratrum sabadilla, sabadilla seed. 



The sabadill seed was treated with sulphuric ether, which dissol- 

 ved a volatile crystallizable acid, and a fatty and other substances ; 

 the residuum treated with boiling alcohol, a deep brown coloring mat- 

 ter is obtained, which is filtered off and evaporated to the consisten- 

 cy of an extract. Cold water will now dissolve this extract, except 

 a small quantity of fatty matter which is filtered off; the solution 

 however, has to be concentrated by evaporation, and filtered again, 

 and then precipitated with sugar of lead, which yields a copious yel- 

 low precipitate and an almost colorless liquor, which, after having 

 passed some sulphuretted hydrogen for removing any excess of lead, 

 and filtered and evaporated again, is treated with magnesia. This 

 precipitate when dissolved in boiling alcohol, which is afterwards to 

 be distilled off again, yields a pulverulent substance, the veratria, 

 which is yellowish, but which may be whitened by repeated treat- 

 ments with alcohol and precipitations of water. 



